Undisclosed Desires
by Kelcifer
Summary: After being apart for 5 years, Jessie and James were unexpectedly flung back in to each other's lives. Now, through a journey of soul-searching and of memories of their lives both together and apart, they discover just who they really are inside, and what the other means to them. The question is, can they admit it to each other?
1. Chapter 1 - New Beginnings

**Greetings! Just a wee note before we start, I'm quite (read: very) behind on the anime. I wanted to make this as canon as possible but having only seen Indigo, Johto, and Training Daze (plus one or two other episodes containing references to their past) I realised there wasn't much point trying to use anything after those in case I got it terribly terribly wrong! So, anything that happens in later series probably won't be referenced here. Thanks for reading!**

Chapter 1 – New Beginnings

Jessie squeezed the last pair of boots in to her rucksack and sighed. Was this just another hair-brained idea destined to fail, just like everything else? Sinking on to the worn sofa, images from her past flashed through her mind. The devastation she felt after failing the audition for theatre school, knowing that in a matter of days she had lost both a chance for love and a chance for fame. Then she had her heart set on becoming a nurse, but a rejection from the usual nursing school coupled with her fierce determination set her on a slightly _unorthodox_ path. Even though she failed to graduate, she smiled as she thought of the Chansey she had befriended, and her gaze lingered on the side pocket of her rucksack, where she knew her half of the broken pendant was safely tucked away in her trinket box. Her smile faded as another failure flashed through her mind, and the words _"lowest scores in the school's history"_ echoed in her ears causing her to grit her teeth with anger. She sank her face in to her palms and groaned, closing her eyes and rubbing them with her slender fingers. A lavender hue flew past her eyelids and she inhaled sharply, quickly banishing the image from her mind.

Standing up, Jessie scanned the room for any items she had forgotten to pack. _'Not that I own much in the first place…'_ she thought to herself. All her belongings had just about fit in to the rucksack and the holdall lying by the door. Walking around the room absentmindedly opening drawers, her mind wandered to her childhood. _'Growing up in poverty, well, you don't acquire much in the way of material possessions.'_ Her gaze settled on the bags, and she chuckled to herself. Most of her possessions in recent years had been acquired in a more… dishonest way. Not that she was exactly proud of being a thief, but she had to admit, she was _good_ at it. After leaving her foster home, Jessie had to learn to fend for herself. She knew she couldn't go back to eating snow to survive, not again. So she stole what she needed, and nothing more. Eventually the guilt became a distant memory, and she was able to make sure she had decent clothes and shoes too. She was a growing girl after all! But her flair for stealing reached new heights during her time in the Sunnytown bike gang. Closing the wardrobe doors and leaning back against them, she smiled as she remembered the adventures the gang enjoyed. They weren't bad kids per se, just a bunch of misfits having fun, as teenagers do. She eventually became their leader which is where she first got a taste for being in control, for dominance. It wasn't something she had ever experienced before, and she liked the feeling. Everyone admired her, especially… She rubbed her eyes and tried to force the image out of her mind again, but this time it stayed put.

 _Jessie sat on the mezzanine in the abandoned warehouse, looking down as various members of the gang chatted animatedly together. They had triumphed over a rival gang that day and were celebrating the victory with a few bottles of booze that Jessie had 'acquired' earlier that evening. One of the gang finished setting up a beat-up old CD player that James had found and fixed up, and some catchy pop song filled the enormous room. Jessie took a swig of the harsh liquor and grimaced as it burnt the back of her throat, unaware of the footsteps approaching behind her due to the loud music. A hand touched her shoulder and she spun around in shock, finding herself staring in to a frightened pair of emerald eyes._

 _"I'm sorry Jessie!" James squeaked, quickly withdrawing his hand. "I didn't mean to scare you!"_

 _Jessie laughed. "Sit down you wimp.'' She patted the dusty floor beside her and smiled up at him._

 _Returning the smile, James sank down on to the floor beside Jessie, swinging his legs over the edge of the balcony as Jessie had done. "You were great today Jessie, we won because of you.''_

 _Jessie snorted in dismissal. "It was a team effort. More importantly, it was a team victory!" she grinned, offering him the bottle._

 _James screwed his face up and stuck out his tongue in disgust. "You know I can't drink that stuff," he whined. "My parents' only had the best wine in our house, I'm not used to cheap…" He stopped suddenly and looked embarrassed. James hadn't told Jessie much about his life before Pokémon Tech, but she suspected he came from a posh family. Every once in a while he let something slip, plus there was the way he spoke and his mannerisms. James wasn't like most other boys she knew. Other kids noticed this too, however any teasing soon stopped after Jessie threatened to punch anyone who said anything mean to him or about him._

 _Jessie playfully smacked his arm, bringing him out of his thoughts. "Well, it's a good job you have me as your best friend" she laughed, reaching in to her rucksack and bringing out a small bottle of red wine. "I didn't want you to be left out.'' She held the bottle out to him and giggled as his eyes lit up and a wide grin spread across his face._

 _James took the bottle, offering many words of thanks. His smile faltered slightly, "but Jessie, I don't have a corkscrew, or a wine glass!" Sighing, Jessie took the bottle back off him and unscrewed the lid (James gasped at the idea that wine could come in a screw lid bottle) and took a large swig out of it, and offered it back to him smirking. James blushed and smiled sheepishly. "Thanks Jessie. Where would I be without you?"_

 _Jessie couldn't help but notice the admiration in James' eyes, his gaze lingering on her for a fraction too long. She turned back to the scene below them, blaming the warm feeling in her stomach on the alcohol. She took another swig of her liquor, chuckling as she watched some of the other gang members dancing._

 _James rummaged in his rucksack. "Actually Jessie, I have something for you too." He found what he was looking for and turned back to her, a nervous smile on his face. Jessie looked at him quizzically as he handed her a small box, and she gasped as she opened it._

 _"James! They're stunning! Thank you so much!" Jessie exclaimed, holding up the green earrings so she could see better in the dwindling light. "Wait… where did you get these? Did you steal them?!" Her eyes widened at the thought._

 _James laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Actually, yes I did!" Jessie thought she saw a brief triumphant look flicker over his features. James wasn't a thief. He was only in the bike gang because she was. The thought of getting in trouble frightened him and he usually stayed well out of the way of any illegal activities, instead trying to fix up any items the gang brought back from scavenging. "I… um…" James cleared his throat. "I just wanted to thank you. For today I mean. And I saw these and thought they would look so elegant on you… Er, what I mean to say is, that you might like them…" He trailed off, looking embarrassed._

 _Jessie smiled to herself and hooked the earrings in to her ears. James cleared his throat again, staring down at the people below. "You're my best friend Jess. I just wanted to show you how much our friendship means to me." He glanced up at her just as Jessie turned to look at him. "They look really good on you." James smiled, before quickly looking back down._

 _Jessie lightly punched him in the arm and laughed. "Thank you James. I love them!" she said, grabbing her bottle and offering it over for a *clink*. James' smile turned in to a grin as he reached for his wine and gently touched her bottle with his. As he took a drink, Jessie watched James' face screw up at the taste of the cheap wine and she burst out laughing, causing him to laugh too. Jessie leaned in to him, taking another drink from her bottle. "You're my best friend too James" she said affectionately, and they both sat and watched the party, recounting the days victory between them._

Jessie sighed. That was her biggest failure, no doubt about it. It had been 5 years since she last saw James. Striding over to her rucksack, she retrieved the trinket box from the side pocket and opened it. Next to the broken pendant lay the earrings. Tucking a strand of magenta hair behind her ear and putting them in, she walked over to the grimy mirror, admiring the reflection. Occasionally, she found herself wondering what he was up to, but quickly pushed the thought from her mind. She didn't like to dwell on the single biggest mistake of her life, of the friendship she had abandoned. Reaching up to remove the earrings, she paused. _'Maybe… Maybe I'll keep wearing them. Just for a little while...'_ After glancing in the mirror one last time, she reached for her coat and put it on. It was time for her new life with Team Rocket. This time, she couldn't fail! Team Rocket was in her blood. Maybe it was even her destiny. The look on Giovanni's face when Jessie revealed she was Miyamoto's daughter! He was very eager to enrol someone with such potential in to the team! There was a large part of Jessie that blamed Team Rocket for her mother's disappearance all those years ago, but the truth was she just couldn't keep going the way she was, failing at everything she tried. At least Team Rocket would provide her with some stability, something she had never had before. And if she could be even _half_ the woman her mother was, well, there's no chance she could fail this time. Jessie hoisted the rucksack on to her shoulder and lifted the holdall, and with her head held high started the long journey to Viridian City.

xXx

Jessie opened her eyes, produced her mallet from a hidden pocket and smashed her alarm clock in to smithereens. It had been a week since she had arrived at Team Rocket HQ, and she shared a dorm with a girl called Millie. Jessie reached down and opened her bottom drawer, selecting a new alarm clock at random from the pile. The door opened and Millie came bouncing in, her shoulder length green hair swaying as she handed Jessie a mug of coffee.

"Morning!" Millie chirped. "Better get up sleepyhead! You don't wanna miss your appointment."

Jessie groaned. She had forgotten she had a meeting with Sergeant Viper. Grumbling to herself she swung her legs out of bed and sipped her coffee, watching Millie bound across the room and wondering how someone could have so much energy at that time of the morning. She supposed she should be excited about finding out who her partner would be and to receive their training schedule, but she was _not_ a morning person. _'Well,'_ she thought to herself as she stifled a yawn, _'At least we have the party later to look forward to.'_

xXx

That evening, Jessie and Millie gasped as they entered the hall. The room was decorated in red black and silver with hundreds of black balloons with red 'R's on them. The bar ran along the wall to the left, and to the right were long buffet tables filled with more food Jessie had ever seen in one place before. Trainee Rockets chatted in groups around smaller tables, a few tapping their feet to the live band on the stage. There were a couple of girls up dancing, and Jessie suddenly felt underdressed in the bargain she had found in a charity shop. Smoothing out the front of the pale blue dress, she turned her attention to the bar instead, grabbing Millie's hand and fighting their way through the crowd of new recruits.

"What's your poison?" Millie yelled in Jessie's ear. Jessie reached for her purse but Millie insisted this was on her.

"Surprise me!" Jessie yelled back, grateful for the offer. She didn't have much money left, the small amount the new recruits received going on essentials such as hairspray, and her new dress. "Thanks Millie!" As Millie ordered, she noticed her new team mate Tristan in the queue a few places behind her. Jessie smiled and gave a small wave. During their meeting earlier he had come across as rather arrogant and cocky, but she supposed she could put up with that providing he didn't let her down. She turned back to Millie and laughed, as Millie handed her a bright blue cocktail with various straws and umbrellas sticking out of it.

More people were up on the dance floor as they made their way towards the tables. As they scanned the place for somewhere to sit, they heard an excited squeal of "Oooooh, donuts!" and a blue blur rushed past Jessie, almost knocking her over and causing her to spill half of her drink over the girl dancing next to her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" cried Jessie, as she grabbed a tissue from her bag and started trying to dry off the angry-looking blonde girl.

"You're sorry?!" the girl screeched furiously as she turned to face Jessie. "Do you have any idea how much this dress cost?!"

Jessie paled as the blue liquid seeped through the expensive looking white dress. "It wasn't my fault. Some guy pushed…"

"I don't give a damn what your excuse is, bitch!" the girl roared in Jessie's face. Jessie took a step back, eyes wide with shock. The blonde girl looked Jessie up and down and sneered. "I'd say you need to pay for a replacement but I don't think you could afford it." The black-haired girl she was dancing with shrieked with laughter.

Any traces of guilt Jessie felt were quickly replaced with anger. Narrowing her eyes, she took a step forwards. "You need to watch how you're speaking to me, bitch" Jessie spat, feeling Millie take a hold of her arm. The blonde girl and Jessie glared at each other, until Millie managed to pull Jessie away.

"She's not worth it Jessie, just leave it" Millie warned, pulling Jessie towards two empty seats and setting her drink on the table. "Let's just have fun, yeah?"

Jessie took a deep breath and pushed her anger to the side. Sitting down next to Millie, she raised what was left of her cocktail. "I'll drink to that!" she answered, and Millie raised her drink too. As she sipped her drink, she watched as the angry blonde and her friend gathered up their bags and stormed out of the party.

A few drinks later and the party was in full swing. Jessie and Millie decided to take a break from dancing and headed over to the buffet tables, grabbing a plate and piling it high with sandwiches and nibbles. Making their way back to their table, they sat down and watched the group of Rockets on the dance floor.

"Man my feet are killing me!" Jessie exclaimed, kicking off her heels and stuffing a sausage roll in to her mouth. All this dancing had given her an appetite!

Millie took a sip of her drink. "Tell me about it!" she laughed.

Neither of them noticed the angry blonde, donned in a clean equally-expensive purple dress storm up behind them. Smirking, she emptied a full glass of red wine over Jessie, causing her friend with the black hair to cackle with laughter. Shaking with rage, Jessie stood up and turned to face her, as the black-haired girl handed a second glass of wine to her friend. Before Jessie could react, the blonde girl threw the contents over the front of Jessie's dress.

"Nice one Cassidy." sneered the girl with the black hair as the two turned triumphantly around, the blonde girl flicking her hair as she did so.

Jessie stood in shock, conscious of dozens of eyes on her. She was only vaguely aware of Millie standing in front of her, trying in vain to wipe Jessie down with a handful of napkins. Blinking back tears of embarrassment and feeling something inside of her snap, she grabbed a pork pie from her plate and launched it at Cassidy, hitting her hard in the back of the head. Cassidy stumbled forwards, grabbing on to her friend for support. As she whipped her head round to glare at Jessie, Millie spied a few security grunts heading over. Quickly she grabbed Jessie's shoes and bag and hauled her towards the exit, breaking in to a run as one of the grunts shouted for them to stop. They didn't slow down until they were safely back in their dorm room.


	2. Chapter 2 - Crash Boom Bang

Chapter 2 – Crash Boom Bang

James sat at his desk typing on his laptop, trying to ignore his annoying roommate and his equally annoying partner prattling on about some girl she hated. James' workload had doubled since his own partner had been kicked out of Team Rocket, and he had a training mission report to complete. Wincing, he tried to drown out the screeching laughter coming from Cassidy.

"Guys, I'm trying to work here…" James said irritably, gritting his teeth as the pair laughed and responded with a chorus of ' _ooooOOOOOooooohh_ 's. Pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose and taking a deep breath, he tried to focus back on his report.

"Rumour has it she's been through about 10 partners so far." Cassidy ranted to her partner, Butch. "I'm not surprised, who would want to be stuck in a team with her?" she laughed wickedly.

"Hey James," Butch's rasping voice caused James to stop typing mid-sentence, and he sighed. "Heh, maybe you'll end up with this girl as your partner."

James winced again as Cassidy's shrill laughter reverberated in his head. He didn't know who they were talking about, nor did he care. He was meeting with Viper later that evening, and although he was curious to find out who his new partner was, any speculation had to wait. He had a report to finish.

xXx

James slumped against the door and ran his fingers through his lavender hair, trying to process what had just happened. Eyes wide with shock and breathing heavily, he launched himself towards the other side of his dorm and sank on to his bed, head in his hands, thankful that Butch and Cassidy were absent. The events of the last half hour replayed over and over in James' mind.

 _"Allow me to introduce you to James." Viper announced to the woman on the balcony overlooking the mountains._

 _At the mention of his name, James turned his head to face his new team mate and found himself staring in to sapphire eyes, eyes he never thought he'd see again. He froze. Half of him wanted to yell at her, demand explanations to years of unanswered questions. Half of him wanted to embrace her and never let go. But with Viper there he knew he could do neither. Instead he held her gaze, trying to read her, searching for a flicker of emotion behind her stony eyes. Time seemed to stand still, the thump of his heart and the brilliant sapphire the only things he was aware of, and he waited for her to make the first move._

"Why did she act like she didn't _know_ me?" James whispered to himself, trying to calm his breathing. "Is it possible she doesn't recognise me?" His heart plummeted with the thought and he squeezed his eyes shut, allowing two tears to escape and slowly creep down his face. Balling his fists up and pressing them to his eyebrows, trying to fight off his worsening headache, he desperately searched his barely functioning brain for an answer. _'No, that's preposterous,'_ he reasoned, _'she must have been playing it cool in front of Viper. After all, didn't I also play along with her little charade? We couldn't have admitted we knew each other, not with Viper there._ ' Lifting his head and wiping his cheeks, he stared out of the window at the sunset, brows furrowed as he tried to make sense of his conflicting emotions.

Anger towards Jessie which he had not felt in years had swiftly returned upon seeing her, and he felt it coursing through his body and mind. He had eventually forgiven her for leaving, but seeing her again so unexpectedly… He clenched his fists as the anguish washed over him, ripping open all those wounds from 5 years ago. Unable to hold back a sob, he buried his face in his hands again. _'She was the only friend I had… and she just left!'_ Another sob escaped him and he swallowed hard, trying to contain himself. Yet, he was so _thrilled_ to see her again, to know she was alright, and his heart fluttered with exhilaration. _'I've missed you so much Jessie, you've no idea how much…'_ Knowing he was close to completely breaking down and not wanting to be caught doing so, he stumbled to the bathroom, tearing off his uniform and hitting the shower button a little too hard. James placed his hands on the wall in front of him and hung his head, relishing the pressure of the almost-too-hot water on the back of his neck and shoulders, wishing it could wash away his heartache. Knowing he was safe, James wept freely, finally surrendering to his emotions, allowing his mind to wander to the morning that changed his life.

 _James woke from a troubled sleep, memories of his conversation with Jessie the night before swirling round in his mind. Pressing the button on his watch, the time glowed momentarily revealing it was just past 5am. James sat up, trying to adjust his eyes to the darkness, replaying her words in his head. Her boyfriend Danny had recently left the bike gang, he'd had enough of Sunnytown and decided to head on to pastures new. James had comforted Jessie when he left, wishing there was something he could do to take away her pain. But then last night, to James' horror, Jessie admitted she wanted to follow him, that she was ready to give it all up and be with him. James begged her, pleaded with her not to go. They talked for hours, James reminding his friend of all the adventures they had shared together, telling her how she was still young and there'd be other guys, and he cried as he told her how much he'd miss her if she left. Thankfully, he seemed to get through to her, and she held him and promised him they'd always be best friends._

 _"Jessie!" James whispered in to the darkness, wondering if his friend was awake. "Hey! Jessie!" he hissed louder. There was no reply. James squinted through the dark shadows, trying to make out her sleeping form, panicking slightly when he realised he couldn't hear her rhythmic breathing. Heart in his throat, he fumbled for his torch and flicked it on, revealing nothing but an empty sleeping bag and pillow. As his vision started to blur, he leapt from his sleeping bag and half ran, half crawled over to hers, sinking down on to it as his flashlight caught a scrap of paper on her pillow, knowing what would come next but praying he was wrong. He could barely read it through his tears and the wobble of the flashlight as his shoulders shook with silent heaving sobs, but he got the message. She was gone. James flung himself on to her pillow and cried, cried harder than he ever had before, the words repeating over and over in his head: 'I'm sorry, I have to follow my heart, I hope you understand one day. Best friends always, Jessie xx'_

The way James' shoulders shook now reminded him of that night, and sobbing he slammed his fist against the wall of the shower before moving his other hand to cover his mouth, her words still etched in to his brain. _'But… but what about MY heart?'_ he screamed internally, _'you broke my heart Jessie, you were my BEST friend, my ONLY FRIEND! I had NOTHING after you left…'_ His bitterness swiftly morphed in to sorrow. "Nothing…" he moaned, voice barely more than a whisper.

Exhaling deeply and urging his tears to stop, James lifted his head and ran his fingers through his hair a number of times, allowing the water to completely saturate his lavender locks. _'Pull yourself together James,_ ' he chided himself, choking back a sob and sniffling, _'it was a long time ago, you were both children for Arceus' sake!'_ He closed his eyes as the water ran over his face, and in his mind he was suddenly back on that balcony, Jessie standing before him, the sheer brilliance of the sunset behind her amplifying her long magenta hair, the striking colours like fire save for the dazzling sapphire in which he was becoming so lost, and it suddenly struck him how breathtakingly beautiful she was. For some inexplicable reason, this only made James cry harder.

xXx

Jessie stood with her arms resting on the railing, staring at but not really noticing the sun setting over the mountains. Viper had just left along with James, and she made sure to maintain her confident façade until they were out of sight. Only then did she allow her confusion to betray her demeanour. Sighing, she rested her head on one hand, brows furrowed. _'Well this was… unexpected…'_ she frowned as she tried to pin down exactly how she felt, but to her surprise she felt nothing. _'I suppose it's just the shock,'_ she assured herself. It wasn't that she was indifferent, she just felt _numb_. Detached even. Like she would wake to find this was just a dream. Lips pursed together, she watched absentmindedly as a flock of Spearow flew above the mountains, black against the orange sky. _'OK Jessie, what's the game plan here?'_ she wondered to herself, drumming her fingers against the railing as she thought. She wasn't about to let her history with James ruin her chances of becoming a successful field agent. She had to accept James was now her partner, and her priority was completing the training programme. _'Providing he doesn't let me down like the rest of the losers they saddled me with,'_ she smirked. Her smile faded as she once again realised all the men in her life had let her down. _'…Apart from one...'_ Without warning, she was overcome with guilt, and she squeezed her eyes closed as she wrestled the feeling back down, knuckles turning white as she gripped on to the railing. Jessie shook her head and swallowed hard. _'It doesn't matter, he's still a guy. Remember Jessie, rule number one: you can only rely on yourself.'_

xXx

Jessie walked briskly back her dorm room, refusing to allow any emotion, any sign of weakness, to bubble to the surface. She rummaged in her wardrobe and threw her training gear and rucksack on to the floor and sat cross-legged with her back to Millie, praying that she wouldn't ask too many questions.

"So?" enquired Millie, "Don't keep me in suspense! Who's your new partner? Is he a keeper this time?" she teased.

Feeling Millie's eyes on the back of her head, Jessie continued unceremoniously stuffing her gear in to the rucksack. "He's just some guy."

xXx

Standing with his hands on either side of the sink, James stared in the mirror, peering through his dripping hair at his reflection. _'Pathetic…'_ he thought, looking in to his bloodshot eyes. Any anguish over Jessie had long since subsided, now leaving him irked at himself. Blowing strands of hair out of his eyes, he gave the man in the mirror a pep talk.

 _'You've come a long way since she left. Hell, it seems like a lifetime ago! You're not that scared teenager anymore James, you're a man! Now act like it!'_ He glared at his reflection, as though daring it to refuse or argue back, before grabbing a towel and throwing it over his head, rubbing his hair vigorously. Not that James was afraid to cry, or to show emotion. He was confident enough in his masculinity, despite what some people said or thought. Growing up, he was taught it wasn't 'proper' for a male to be emotional. After Jessie had left, the gang had heard him crying and were relentless, calling him a wimp and a cry-baby and howling with laughter at the sad little girly-boy. But as he got older James realised talking about or showing his feelings or being in touch with his emotional side didn't make him any less of a man. Wearing his heart on his sleeve used to be something he was ashamed of, but now he accepted it as a part of what made him who he was. His annoyance at himself was more to do with not seeing the bigger picture. James knew his partnership with Jessie was going to have its difficulties, but it was also a chance to rekindle a friendship that meant a lot to him. ' _And I should be pleased about that!'_ Removing the towel from his head, he looked back in the mirror and stood tall, a new air of confidence and energy about him. _'This could be the best thing that's ever happened to you. A second chance! You're going to be the best damn partner she's ever had! And then…'_ he smiled at his reflection, _'and then you'll finally have your best friend back.'_

xXx

Jessie lay in the darkness in the red trainee dorm room allocated to her team, staring at the underside of the top bunk. James hadn't arrived at the training academy yet, but she wanted to be asleep, or at least _pretend_ to be asleep, when he got here. Her mind was restless and she rolled on to her side, facing away from the door. Where _was_ he? _'Hmph, I bet he's refused to be my partner, or maybe even quit Team Rocket. What a surprise, yet another partner letting me down.'_ she thought angrily, gritting her teeth. With a jolt she heard the door open, and as the room was momentarily flooded with light she forced herself to remain still, breathing steadily, even throwing in a soft snore for good measure.

James looked around the room to get his bearings before closing the door, throwing them in to darkness again. His palms were suddenly sweaty and his chest tight. He'd shared a room with Jessie plenty of times before, but this was different, there was so much to talk about. He had seen Jessie in the bottom bunk, and although part of him wanted to wake her, to talk through the night huddled under a shared duvet as they did when they were kids, he knew it wasn't the right time. Sighing, James lowered his backpack quietly on to the floor in the corner, removed his boots and gloves and walked straight forwards to where he knew the ladders would be. He paused before climbing up, just able to make out her sleeping form, and he felt his heart flutter with excitement. Smiling at his old friend, he hauled himself up on to the top bunk and removed his training shirt and trousers, draping them neatly over the side frame of the bed. Settling down on to his pillow and staring at the ceiling, James lay awake for a long time, wondering how and why fate had lead their paths back to each other, unaware that Jessie was staring at the wall wondering the exact same thing.


	3. Chapter 3 - Butterflies And Hurricanes

Chapter 3 – Butterflies And Hurricanes

The morning sun shone through a gap in the curtains, rousing Jessie from sleep. She fumbled for her alarm clock on the floor just under her bed, surprised when she realised there was still 15 minutes before it went off. _'Well that's a first…'_ she thought wide-eyed as she turned it off. Sitting up and rubbing her eyes, she abruptly remembered who was in the bunk above her _. 'OK Jess, game face on, your priority is passing the training, anything else can wait. You need to focus. And remember… rule number one: you can only rely on yourself.'_ Quickly getting out of bed, she grabbed her rucksack and headed in to the bathroom.

The sound of the bathroom door shutting woke James, and it took him a few seconds to remember where he was, and who he was with. Last night's elation had now been replaced with apprehension – this would be their first chance to talk, and there was _so_ much to talk about. Different scenarios danced through James' mind, each one more varied from the last. Would there be yelling? Crying? Hugging? He really didn't know what to expect. Swinging himself over the frame and climbing down the ladders, he rummaged in his rucksack for his toothbrush and toothpaste.

Jessie opened the bathroom door just as James stood up from retrieving his essentials and she found herself face to face with her old friend wearing nothing but boxers, hair dishevelled, and she was momentarily stunned, not expecting to see James half naked.

"Morning." she said politely, forcing herself to maintain eye contact.

"Good morning." James replied, grinning, reaching up to grab his uniform from his bed. "Are you finished with the bathroom?"

"Yep, it's all yours." Jessie tore her eyes away from his and walked over to the wardrobe, throwing her rucksack in to it. Hearing the bathroom door close, she raised an eyebrow. _'Well he certainly grew up!'_ she mused, a slight smile on her lips. He definitely wasn't the scrawny gangly kid she knew back then. Her mind flew back to when they shared a dorm at Pokémon tech, and she remembered how he would flat-out refuse to even change his t-shirt in front of her, becoming quite upset if she asked him about it. _'Huh, I guess he's changed…'_

Jessie jumped slightly as the sound of the bathroom door snapped her out of her thoughts, and she quickly composed herself, game face back on. A sense of awkwardness was suddenly upon them, so much that needed to be said, so many years of hurt needing to be addressed. Jessie, in true form, decided to ignore this. James nervously cleared his throat.

"Jessie…" he started.

Jessie's expression was stony. "Not now James." she said, with a finality in her voice that James couldn't rebut. Striding over to the door she flung it open, calling over her shoulder as she left the room, "Are you coming or what?"

Running a hand through his hair, he sighed in defeat, before following his team mate out of the door.

xXx

To say Jessie was overjoyed was putting it mildly. They had passed the training and were now fully fledged field agents! James and Meowth were happy of course, but Jessie… It had been a long time since James had seen Jessie so ecstatic, since he had seen her face light up and her eyes sparkle with glee. It was infectious, to say the least. The trio had briefly returned to HQ to collect their things before setting off on their first official mission, a heist of the Pokémon centre in Celadon City. They had been walking through Viridian Forest for a while, and as the skies gradually turned darker and their legs grew wearier, they decided to set up camp for the night.

"We need firewood." said Jessie as she shrugged off her rucksack and sank down against a tree, her eyes on Meowth.

Meowth, who had been perched on James' head for the past few miles, jumped down and softly landed in the grass. "Yeah yeah, I'm on it," he replied as he wandered off in to the forest with a wave of his paw.

James wondered if now was finally the right time to talk. Jessie seemed happy enough, the teams triumph still etched on her face despite the long walk. He took a deep breath but Jessie spoke first.

"We need water too."

James swallowed his words and rummaged in his and Meowth's rucksacks for their canteens. Jessie held hers out for him and he took it from her, giving her a nod before heading towards the faint sound of running water.

Jessie removed her boots and stretched her legs out, sighing and wiggling her aching feet. It was only a week ago she was partnerless, again, and now… now she was a certified field agent with a team that so far worked extremely well together. Well, the cat would take some getting used to. She'd never known someone to talk so much! And James… so far he'd been true to his word. He had repeatedly told her this past week that he wouldn't let her down, going as far as busting out of hospital, even sacrificing himself for the team! Twice! And although she wanted to believe he meant it, it had only been a week. She wasn't going to let down her guard just yet. Experience had taught her that she couldn't trust anyone…

 _Giggling, Jessie and Danny closed the door of the storage room in the abandoned warehouse, throwing them in to darkness. Danny fumbled in his pockets for a second before bringing out a handful of tea lights, setting them on a nearby shelf and lighting them._

 _"Just call me Mr Romantic, eh?" he laughed, pulling Jessie close to him._

 _Jessie kissed him, the butterflies in her stomach growing as he backed her up against a table. After a few minutes, Danny pulled away._

 _"Jessie, I actually have something to tell you…" he said, looking at the floor._

 _Jessie's heart sank. Was he going to break up with her? No, that couldn't be it, not like this. She paused, hardly daring to breathe._

 _"I've decided it's time for me to move on. I'm heading up to Vermillion. This town, well, I just need something bigger, ya know?"_

 _Jessie looked down, blinking back the tears. She wasn't about to let him see her cry! "What about us?" she asked as she hoisted herself on to the table, hoping she didn't sound too upset._

 _"Well, I was thinking… how about tonight we just make it all about us, eh? We got candles, we're all alone…" he took her hand and kissed her fingers, "it's just you and me babe."_

 _Jessie looked back up at him, a smile on her lips, and he moved in to kiss her._

 _Jessie tried to stop thinking, to just enjoy this, but her mind had other ideas. He was leaving! It didn't matter to her that he was leaving the town rather than leaving her, he was still abandoning her! The kisses on her neck soon snapped her out of her thoughts, and she ran her fingers through his hair._

 _"Hey babe," he whispered in her ear between kisses, "how about tonight we go all the way?"_

 _Jessie's eyes widened. Was she ready for this? She was old enough after all, and they often fooled about with each other. Danny continued kissing her neck and collarbone, and she closed her eyes, trying to think._

 _"But we don't have any protection!" murmured Jessie._

 _Danny pulled away and gave her a sly grin as he reached in to his pocket. "I came prepared." He laughed, placing it on the table before kissing her neck again._

 _Jessie's mind raced, this was a big decision and she wasn't sure she was truly ready, but his kisses were so distracting. Maybe if she said yes… maybe he wouldn't leave her…_

 _"It's our last night together babe…" he persisted, nibbling her earlobe._

 _For some reason she didn't understand Jessie felt she couldn't say no, and she agreed, kissing him deeply. She held her breath as he took her virginity, and she wondered if this is what it felt like to be a woman, if this is what it felt like to be loved…_

 _After a few minutes it was over, and Danny moved instantly away from her. Jessie hopped off the table and fixed her clothes. She wrapped her arms around Danny's waist and buried her head in his chest, doubt starting to creep in to her mind._

 _"You do love me don't you?" she asked, her voice muffled by his chest._

 _"Sure I do. But listen, I gotta go, I gotta tell the guys I'm leaving. You understand right babe?"_

 _Jessie loosened her grip, putting on a brave façade. "Yeah, sure."_

 _She lifted her head and leant in for a kiss, but to her surprise he just gave her a quick peck on the lips before wiggling out of her arms and heading towards the door, shouting "I'll catch up with you later yeah?" over his shoulder as he left._

 _Jessie sank back on the edge of the table, wondering what the hell just happened. She felt dirty, but tried to push those thoughts away, telling herself Danny wasn't like that. As the tears started to fall, she told herself it was due to Danny leaving, and she buried her head in her hands, thankful that no-one was around to see tough Jessie cry._

 _xXx_

 _Jessie had been cycling round Vermillion for what seemed like hours, but eventually she found what she was looking for. Eyes shining, she called out to Danny, waving as she approached him and his friends. She skidded to a halt before them, and her smile faded as she saw some of Danny's new friends whispering to each other and snickering behind their hands. She dismounted her bike as Danny walked up to her._

 _"What're ya doin' here Jess?" he asked with a frown._

 _"I figured Sunnytown was getting too small for me too." She replied, forcing a smile._

 _"Awwwwkwaaaaard" he said as he turned slightly towards his friends, causing them to laugh harder._

 _"What the hell Danny?" Jessie said, her voice quivering with rage._

 _"I figured I got what I wanted on my last night with you guys. I didn't expect to see you again. You know we're not a thing, right babe?"_

 _Jessie face flushed red with anger and embarrassment. "Don't call me babe." She snarled as she mounted her bike. "I got some friends to see in Vermillion, I ain't here for you, don't flatter yourself." she spat, flicking her hair and riding away from them, cursing herself for being so stupid. She didn't stop until she reached the harbour._

 _'What the hell am I gonna do now?' she thought, eyes stinging with the threat of tears. 'I can't go back to Sunnytown. I couldn't face them.' She thought of James, and a pang of guilt crashed over her. Maybe she could at least go and get him, and they could move on together. 'No. I can't. I was his one true friend and I just left him! He's better off without me.' She slammed her fist against the bench she was sat on overlooking the harbour, hating herself for letting the tears fall freely, hating herself for trusting Danny, and hating herself for abandoning James. 'Everyone's better off without me…'_

xXx

James eventually found the stream, and knelt to dip each canteen in to it, the freezing water stinging his bare hand. So much had happened this past week. Jessie had started off cold towards him, but during the course of their training programme had started to come round as he continuously proved to her that she could trust him, that he wouldn't let her down. Frowning slightly, he wondered what had happened to make her this way? James was pretty intuitive when it came to reading people. He supposed it was because he was so in touch with his own emotions, he could easily see when others were hiding thoughts or feelings, sometimes even from themselves. He knew from this past week that she was an exceptional agent, and he figured from things she said that her previous team mates weren't good enough. _'Surely her trust issues couldn't be because of them? The walls she had up were way too high to be caused by crappy team mates,'_ he mused as he sank back on to his heels, squeezing his freezing hand between his thighs.

No, that girl definitely had some tough times since they last saw each other, that was for certain. As much as he wanted to talk about her leaving, clear the air, get things off his chest, maybe it was better to leave it for now. He sighed, running his dry hand through his hair. The last thing he wanted was to push her away, especially when she was finally starting to warm up to him. For whatever reason, she found it hard to trust people. And despite the hurt she had caused him, he still cared about her. So he would do the decent thing and allow her to start trusting him in her own time. _'Wasn't that the most important thing?'_ he questioned himself. If there was any hope of rekindling their lost friendship, and of becoming the greatest team in the whole of Team Rocket history like he had promised her that night during training, then they had to learn to trust _each other_ first. And that could take some time. Pulling his glove on to his frozen fingers, James gathered up the canteens and began making his way back to the clearing.

xXx

James hadn't got very far when he heard the unmistakable sound of his feline team mate.

"Hey Jimmy, gis a hand would ya?" Meowth called through the trees. James squinted in the direction of the voice, the fading light making spotting the scratch-cat difficult. "Dis way Jim!" Meowth called again, and James detected movement through the trees as Meowth waved a paw.

Traipsing through the undergrowth of the forest, James approached Meowth who stood triumphantly next to a rather large pile of firewood. Well, rather large for the cat to carry by himself.

"Here, take these," James threw the canteens to Meowth, and stooped down to lift the wood.

"Tanks Jim, you're a real pal!" replied Meowth, and he started back towards the camp, his eyes better equipped to manoeuvre through the thicket.

"What are team mates for?" James smiled in amusement as he followed the cat, wondering how he'd managed to end up on a team with a girl he never thought he'd see again and a walking talking oddball Pokémon. Life certainly was strange!


	4. Chapter 4 - The Angel And The One

Chapter 4 – The Angel And The One

The sky was dark now, the only source of light coming from the campfire which the trio had gathered around to eat. Meowth lay sprawled on his back with his head resting on his tiny sleeping bag, a paw on his now-full stomach and contentment on his face. Next to him sat James, cross-legged on his sleeping bag leaning back on his hands, gazing up at the stars. Jessie sat across the campfire, watching the flames dance, a satisfied smile on her lips. Both sets of eyes shifted to Meowth as he spoke.

"Any leftovers dere Jimmy?" he asked without opening his eyes.

James laughed. "You already ate the leftovers!"

"Heh, oh yeah!" Meowth replied, rubbing his belly.

Still chuckling to himself, James' eyes met Jessie's over the campfire and he grinned.

The soft firelight caressed his features and danced in his eyes, and once again Jessie was reminded of how much he'd matured. She quickly smiled in return before looking away. "So, when did you learn how to cook?" she enquired.

James arched an eyebrow at his team mate, observing her sudden interest in the trees. He sat up and ran a hand through his lavender locks. "I waited tables in a café for a while, the chef gave me a few pointers. It's easy enough. Though I would hardly call making ramen 'cooking'."

Jessie snorted. "Easy for you to say. I burn everything!"

"I'll show you some time, honestly, _everyone_ can make ramen," he offered with a smile.

"Ha! Famous last words. Don't say I didn't warn you!" Jessie laughed, glancing at her team mate before shuffling backwards to lean against a fallen tree, tilting her head back to look at the stars.

James chewed his lip nervously. Plucking up the courage, he grabbed his rucksack and his sleeping bag and approached Jessie. "Mind if I join you?"

Still looking at the stars, Jessie nodded, and she felt James set his sleeping back next to hers and lean against the trunk.

"So… we're officially field agents, on our way to our first mission… we should celebrate." James grinned at her.

"In order to celebrate, we need something to celebrate _with_ …" sighed Jessie, not tearing her gaze away from the sky.

"Well," James reached in to his rucksack, "it's a good job you have me as your team mate!" He revealed a bottle of Captain Morgan's and laughed as he now had Jessie's full attention.

"Now you're talking!" Jessie exclaimed, eyes shining. "Where did you get this?"

"It was a parting gift from an old friend." James' mind fleetingly pictured a tall barman with a friendly smile, in a bar that he called home. "I guess I never had an excuse to open it until now." James unscrewed the bottle and offered it to his partner.

"Captain Morgan eh? How appropriate." Jessie laughed before taking a drink, as a memory played in James' head.

 _"What can I get you today James?" asked Sam from across the bar as James slid on to the barstool._

 _"Hmmm, what haven't I tried yet?" James wondered aloud. He was still not used to alcohol and had yet to find something he really liked. "Surprise me," he replied with a grin._

 _Sam brushed a few strands of his shoulder-length brown hair from his face as he walked up the bar studying the optics and various bottles. "A-ha!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "Let's try some Morgan's for our very own Mr Morgan…"_

"Mmmm, _now_ we're celebrating." Jessie grinned, licking her lips and passing the bottle to James, who took a large swig from it. "I see you can handle your alcohol a bit better now." she teased when he didn't wince afterwards.

"What can I say? I've been practising." James laughed as he wiped his mouth, passing the bottle back to his partner.

"Hmmm, you and me both." Jessie replied, and for a split second James thought he saw sadness in her eyes. He frowned slightly but didn't pursue it. They sat in silence for a while, both staring up at the glittering stars, passing the bottle between them and savouring the warmth in their stomachs in the chilly night air.

A loud crack from the campfire caused James to jump and look around wildly, breathing a small sigh of relief when his gaze settled on the burning logs. He hoped that Jessie hadn't noticed but a quick glance towards his partner revealed a look somewhere between amusement and concern. Raising an eyebrow, Jessie passed James the bottle, noticing his hands trembling slightly as he took it.

"You ok?" she asked.

James took a deep drink. "Yeah, just startled me, that's all." He took another drink, determined to change the subject. "That was quite a week, huh?" he said with a laugh that Jessie suspected was forced.

"Made even better by beating Cassidy and… what's his name again?"

"What's the deal with you and Cassidy anyway?" James enquired.

"Ugh, that stuck-up conceited insufferable little bitch…" Jessie spat, as she launched in to the tale of how they had first come to blows. James winced at the rage coming from her, he didn't remember her being that venomous when they were younger. "It wasn't even my fault to begin with! Some donut-crazed lunatic knocked me in to her." she growled.

James, who had just taken a swig of rum, started to cough violently. Jessie slapped him on his back a few times, anger at Cassidy fading as she tended to her team mate. As James got his breath back, he tried once again to quickly change the subject.

"Nice night tonight!" he said, looking up at the stars.

"Mmmmmm," Jessie murmured in agreement, following his gaze and admiring the clear sky. She rubbed her arms, "chilly though. Not that this uniform is designed for warmth! At least the training uniform gave me _some_ protection from the elements, and some modesty!" she laughed. Despite the impracticality of her new uniform, in truth she loved the way it showed off her curves. "Although at least this colour doesn't clash with my beautiful hair!" she said, lovingly caressing her long magenta curl.

James reached for his rucksack in order to retrieve his jacket for Jessie, trying not to think about her revealing uniform for the umpteenth time that day. He got to his knees and lent over to delicately drape his jacket around her shoulders. "Is that better?" he asked, turning his head to face her. Jessie turned to face James in reply, and as their eyes met, both were suddenly startled to find their faces inches from each other. Swallowing, James quickly sank back on to his sleeping bag and ran his hand through his hair. He picked up the bottle of rum and took a drink.

"Much better, thanks." She pulled the jacket snug around her shoulders and leant back against the trunk, a brief look of confusion on her face.

"…Anyway, the colour wasn't _that_ bad!" laughed James. "I thought I looked rather dashing in the training uniform," he boasted with a flamboyant flick of his hand. Ignoring Jessie's eye-roll, his mind flashed through fragments of his training programme.

"Jessie…" James started hesitantly, staring at the camp fire.

 _'Oh crap...'_ During the past week, any time James had tried to start a conversation like that, Jessie had remembered her promise to herself to concentrate on the training, anything else could wait, and she would dismiss it with a stern "Not now James." With a jolt she realised she could no longer hide behind that excuse, and she felt the panic rising up. Instinctively, she raised the walls around her heart and mind.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, what exactly happened with your other team mates?" James prayed it wasn't too intrusive a question. He turned his body to face her, crossing his long legs.

Jessie sighed with relief, and she twisted her body so they were now sat facing each other. "They simply weren't good enough. I wasn't gonna let them hold me back, and I certainly wasn't going to carry them." She took a drink as her mind flashed through them, each more worthless than the last. "They were beyond useless." she said, shaking her head.

"Does this mean I'm _not_ useless?" he teased. Jessie looked up and saw James grinning from ear to ear, eyes twinkling in the firelight, a hopeless boyish charm to his features.

Jessie raised an eyebrow, a smile playing at the corner of her mouth. "You'll do… for now…" James pouted in mock indignation and she rolled her eyes before taking a drink. "Think we'll pull off this heist?" she asked after a few moments.

"Absolutely," he assured her with a warm smile. "I believe if we set our minds to it we can achieve anything we desire!" he finished triumphantly.

"We do work well together," Jessie admitted, taking another drink and glancing at the sleeping cat on the other side of the campfire.

James smiled at his partner. "We always did," he said affectionately.

Jessie met his gaze, surprised at the sincerity in his eyes. _'Why doesn't he hate me?'_ she thought, wrestling down a pang of guilt. Twice in the past week it had threatened to resurface after being buried for years, and she'd be damned if she was going to let her bottled up emotions out! No way! Jessie wasn't weak like that. To acknowledge the guilt would be to admit she was wrong, and strong perfect Jessie was never wrong!

James watched her with interest, sensing some sort of inner conflict deep within the brilliant sapphire.

 _'He's right though, we always did,'_ Jessie's mind was bombarded with flashes from Pokémon Tech, various memories of them working together and helping each other out. Jessie knew deep down she was happy they had been reunited, but she didn't want to acknowledge _any_ emotion regarding their history, even positive ones. It was too much to deal with right now.

Coming back to her senses, she realised they were still staring in to each other's eyes. Jessie lowered her gaze. "It was a long time ago James."

"Wait a minute, you guys knew each udda before?"

Jessie and James both sweatdropped. "I thought you were asleep!" exclaimed James.

"Not with yous two yappin all the time!" Meowth retorted, sitting up to face his team mates.

Jessie got to her feet, not wanting to deal with prying cats. She pulled on her boots and grabbed the empty bowls and pan, and stalked off towards the stream.

"Sheesh, what's with her?" Meowth asked James, both had noticed the anger on her face before she left.

"I'm not really sure…" James ran a hand through his hair, his eyes on the spot between the trees where Jessie had disappeared. He turned his attention to Meowth. "We'd rather the boss didn't find out, I wouldn't want to risk him splitting up the team. Rumour has it he disapproves of team members with past or present relationships."

Meowth's eyes bugged open. "Relationship?!" He pointed an accusatory paw at James. "You mean yous two were togedda?"

"No!" James waved his hands in defence. "No, I didn't mean like that! We were just friends! We met as children…" James started, and he began telling Meowth the basics from Pokémon Tech and the bike gang.

xXx

Jessie finished washing the bowls in the stream, muttering angrily under her breath. If she was honest, she would know she was angry at herself. But her anger was directed at Meowth instead.

"Nosey little furball, I should have smacked him with my fan," she grumbled to herself, pulling on her gloves and flexing her cold fingers. _'And I'm sure James has told him everything by now. He has no right to discuss our private lives – MY private life - with the cat.'_ Jessie grit her teeth, balling her hands in to fists. She took a deep breath and gathered up the bowls, and as she made her way back to camp a memory surfaced in her mind.

 _Jessie was spending her lunch break walking around the grounds of Pokémon Tech. It was only her second day and she was still getting used to the vast layout. It was a nice enough day, the remains of summer still hanging on although the trees had begun to change colour. She took a bite from an apple, the lunch she had swiped on her way to Tech that morning. Jessie heard the commotion before she saw it, and as she rounded the corner she spied a group of three boys huddled around something. Being the nosey child she was, she watched for a while, before a gap emerged between two boys and revealed a smaller boy sitting on a bench. His head was hung down, lavender hair blocking his face from her view but as the shouts and jeers from the others registered with her, she realised what was happening. She had encountered bullies during her time at various foster homes and children's homes, and she despised them. Instinct taking over, she charged at the group, sending one of the boys flying to the ground. Before the others could react, she turned and punched another in the stomach, causing him to double over. The third stared at her in disbelief, wondering where this feisty kid had come from and how she had managed to drop the other two so quickly. He took a threatening step towards her but Jessie threw her apple full force in to his face, causing him to cover his nose and howl with pain. She stood protectively in front of the lavender-haired boy, hands on hips, glaring at the boys as they picked themselves up, almost daring them to retaliate._

 _Jessie laughed triumphantly as the three boys ran off, and she turned to face the smaller boy. He had been watching the events through his hair, but now as Jessie looked down at him he hung his head further, almost as if he expected her to attack him too._

 _"Hi!" she stuck her hand out towards him. "I'm Jessie. Who are you?"_

 _The boy lifted his head and glanced up at her, before his gaze settled warily on her outstretched hand. After a few seconds, he cautiously shook it. "My name is James Morgan, it's a pleasure to meet you." he replied, withdrawing his hand quickly and dropping his head again. Jessie raised an eyebrow at his introduction. So formal but seemed so… rehearsed. Like he was reading from a card or reciting something he'd learnt._

 _Jessie plonked herself down beside him, causing James to snap his head up in alarm. "What's their problem?" she asked, gesturing in the direction the bullies had disappeared._

 _"I have no idea," James shrugged, "Me, I suppose."_

 _Jessie's eyed widened. "Oh no! My apple!" She scanned the ground, and as she spotted it she grabbed it and dusted it off on the front of her dress._

 _"You can't eat that!" exclaimed James, and Jessie almost laughed at the pure horror on his face._

 _"It's my lunch!" she replied._

 _"No, please, you can have some of mine. It's the least I could do!" James insisted as he rummaged in his bag. Jessie looked on eagerly to see what he would produce. He pulled out a packet of sandwiches. "It's not much but I'd be honoured if you shared it with me," he requested, properly meeting and holding her gaze for the first time._

 _"Sure thing James!" Jessie accepted with a grin. He handed her a sandwich and she ripped a bit off it, shoving it in to her mouth and talking around it. "You're in my class, right?"_

 _James had a weird smile on his face as he watched her eat. "Yes. You only started yesterday, correct?" he asked as he took a bite from his sandwich._

 _Jessie nodded as she swallowed. Suddenly her face lit up. "Hey! We should be friends! Wanna be friends?" she grinned at him._

 _James stared at her in disbelief. "Friends? With... with me? Really?"_

 _"Yeah! I like you!" she laughed as she ripped another piece from her sandwich and crammed it in her mouth._

 _James blinked at her for a few seconds, and then he laughed too, emerald eyes shining. She playfully knocked her shoulder in to his and then leant back on the bench, swinging her legs and stuffing the last of the food in to her mouth._

 _"I like you too Jessie." James replied with a stunned smile, like he could hardly believe his luck._


	5. Chapter 5 - Old Scars, Future Hearts

**Hi everyone! First of all, thanks for the faves/follows/reviews, you're all awesome! Secondly, I apologise for the delay in this chapter. When I started this story I was recovering from surgery and so had plenty of time to dedicate to this. But now I'm back to work and all those pesky responsibilities have to be taken care of again, well, the chapters aren't going to be flying out as quickly as they did. Anyway, here's a slightly longer chapter, and thanks for reading! :)**

Chapter 5 – Old Scars, Future Hearts

James awoke first, the chirping of Pidgey sounding through the forest bringing him slowly to his senses. As he sat up, he inhaled sharply and rubbed his neck, cautiously turning his head to see the extent of his stiff muscles. He had been planning on bunching up his jacket to use as a pillow, however Jessie had stormed back in to camp and promptly got in to her sleeping bag without saying a word, still wearing James' jacket, and he had resigned himself to a night with little comfort. Unable to turn his head fully, he shifted his body in order to view his team mates. Meowth was curled up in his sleeping bag, his face just poking out of the top. Jessie lay on her side facing the camp fire, eyes closed and face calm, with no trace of the previous night's anger. She looked so _peaceful_. James found it hard to tear his eyes away as he quietly got up to make coffee, and as he poured the still-hot water from their thermos his eyes kept wandering back to his sleeping team mate. She really had blossomed in to a beautiful woman, although she was still that headstrong impulsive girl he knew back then. He frowned as he stirred the coffee, unable to put his finger on what he was feeling.

Jessie squeezed her eyes tighter as she heard someone softly say her name, not wanting to wake up just yet. The voice said her name again, slightly louder, and she felt a hand on her shoulder. As she started to come to her senses, she realised the voice belonged to James and she detected the delicious aroma of coffee. For a few moments, she felt like she was back in Pokémon Tech. Peeking through her long lashes she saw James smiling down at her, but instead of their Tech dorm room they were surrounded by a sea of greens and browns.

James held out the steaming travel mug. "Good morning Jess. Would you like some coffee?"

Jessie sat up with a groggy smile as he handed her the drink. "Excellent. Just what I need." She sipped it gratefully, instantly noting that he remembered how she liked it – black with half a sugar.

James gently woke Meowth then addressed them both. "We need to get going shortly, it's still a couple of hours walk until we reach the cabin, and we'll require some rest before our assignment tonight." He turned to Meowth. "Meowth, would you like some coffee first? I wasn't sure if you drank it or not?"

Meowth rubbed his eyes. "Nah I'm good tanks Jimmy."

James nodded at his feline team mate and moved to sit on his own sleeping bag. He sipped his coffee and thought about tonight's mission, although in the background some small part of his brain was still trying to identify the feeling from earlier.

Meowth took a long drink from his canteen, smacking his lips with a satisfied 'ahhh.' James, still deep in thought about the mission, turned his head at the sound without thinking, causing him to yelp and clutch at his neck.

"You ok dere Jimmy?" Meowth asked as both he and Jessie turned to look at James.

"Yes, fine." James replied, gingerly pressing his fingers in to the side of his neck and his shoulder, unsuccessfully attempting to massage and loosen the stiff muscles.

Jessie finished her coffee and rummaged in her rucksack for a mirror. "Meowth, be a dear and rinse the cups, and fill up the canteens whilst you're at it." she said sweetly.

"How comes I gotta do it?!" Meowth cried.

"Because James is busy giving himself a sensual massage and I have more important things to do, like my hair and make-up." She said, earning herself a glare from each of her team mates. "It's not easy being beautiful you know."

Meowth muttered "how would you know?" under his breath as he collected the things, causing Jessie to throw a rock at him, murder in her eyes. He quickly left the clearing and headed to the stream.

"Mangy furball!" Jessie yelled after him, then continued rummaging in her rucksack for her make-up and hair brush, and of course her usual can of super-strength hairspray, and proceeded to style her hair.

James glanced at Jessie out of the corner of his eye. He thought her hair looked nicer when it was free from all that hairspray. He carefully rolled up his sleeping bag and packed away his things, trying not to move his neck too much, and as a favour to his team mate he packed away Meowth's things too.

Meowth returned a short while later expecting to find his team mates ready to go, but to his surprise Jessie was still in the midst of her beauty treatment. "You nearly ready dere Jess?" he asked, eyebrow raised.

"You wouldn't rush an artist working on a masterpiece now would you?" she replied as she blotted her ruby lips, admiring herself in the mirror as James and Meowth exchanged eyerolls.

Jessie packed away her toiletries and stood to roll up her sleeping bag, momentarily confused when she noticed her jacket which she had used as a pillow and the identical (although slightly larger) jacket she was wearing. Realising she was still wearing James' from the night before, she shrugged it off and threw it towards James.

"James! Jacket!" she called as she threw it.

James abruptly snapped out of his bored state and turned to look, and clutched at his neck as the jacket landed on his head.

"Gee, thanks Jess." muttered James, hoping she wouldn't detect the sarcasm under the jacket. He pulled it off and ran a hand through his dishevelled hair before folding it and packing it in to his rucksack as Jessie finally finished packing up her things, and the trio continued on their way to the cabin.

xXx

Whereas their trek through the forest yesterday had been a cheerful one, with a skip in their step and the odd bit of out-of-tune humming courtesy of Meowth, today's walk was more subdued – the weight of their first mission on their shoulders and for one member of their party, a poor night's sleep behind him. Jessie clenched her teeth at the persistent whining of her team mates as they followed her; Meowth who was not permitted to ride on James' shoulder was complaining about his tired feet, and James grumbled every time the uneven ground jolted his neck. Forcing herself to focus on manoeuvring through the undergrowth (Meowth's idea of a short-cut) she tried to block them out. She hated whining.

"Heh, I told ya it was a short-cut!" Meowth boasted as their feet finally found the path. "Cabin's just up dere." He gestured up the path with his paw.

James examined the map, blowing the strands of hair from his eyes. "He's right, we should arrive shortly." He said gleefully, thankful their journey was nearly over. "First thing I'll do is take a nice hot shower, I'm sure that will help ease the pain."

Meowth fell in to step with James as they headed up the path. "Foist thing I'm gonna do is find a nice sunny spot for a cat-nap." He grinned a big toothy grin.

"Wrong." They both stopped and turned to look behind them. "The first thing we will do is plan for our assignment." Jessie said as she cut between her partners and walked in front. "We can't leave any of tonight to chance. Now let's go!" she ordered.

"Yes sir!" Meowth and James both chimed with a mock salute as they followed her towards the cabin.

xXx

An hour later, the three Rockets were stood around a table in the dusty cabin (or, two were stood around the table and one was stood on the table) poring over the Pokémon centre blueprints. They guessed the cabin hadn't been used in a while, a thin layer of dust covered the furniture and rose from the floorboards as they walked, the sunlight streaming in through the blinds catching the swirling puffs with each step. Still, it contained beds and half-stocked cupboards, and was secluded from prying eyes.

"This is where we'll enter the building," Jessie poked at the blueprints, "Meowth, you're sure you can get us in?" she questioned her team mate.

Meowth extended a claw. "With dis bad boy? No problem!"

Jessie nodded and dragged her finger along a corridor, "and this is where we'll split up. Meowth you head left to the office," she pointed at another room on the map, "go through the drawers, see if there's anything worth stealing. You'll be going past Joy's sleeping quarters, so you need to keep quiet. Any problems, just pretend you're a stray Meowth. Got it?"

"Leave it to Meowth!" he nodded.

"James, you and me will head to the other side of the centre," she indicated another part of the map, "and collect as many Pokéballs as we can."

James followed her finger and nodded. "From the intel provided, we'll have an hour between Chansey's rounds." He added, looking up at her.

"I don't want to risk it," Jessie replied, looking at each of her partners, hoping they couldn't detect any signs of worry on her face. "I think we should give ourselves 40 minutes max to get in, get the loot and get the hell away."

James and Meowth nodded and murmured in agreement, before the three of them looked back down at the blueprints.

"And around here," she prodded the table next to the map, "is our rendezvous point – a small wood just outside the Pokémon centre. I'll point it out on the way there. Any questions?" James and Meowth shook their heads. "Ok, so James, what's the equipment situation?"

James reached for his rucksack and set it on the table. Jessie and Meowth crowded round him as he began bringing items out.

"Three sets of binoculars, a large super-strength bag to collect the Pokéballs, three sets of ear-pieces and microphones – the latest models, some torches…" He continued to rummage in his bag.

Jessie picked up one of the tiny ear-pieces and inspected it. "That's great James, that's everything we need."

"That's not all!" he cried excitedly, pulling more things from the depths of his bag and placing them on the table. "We have lots of other things too, this handy toolkit, walkie talkies, rope and a ball of string…" Meowth's eyes lit up at the last one, "plenty of smoke bombs, and provisions too, chocolate, sweets..."

"Where on earth did you get all this?" Jessie asked, neither of them noticing the ball of string slowly moving across the table and out of sight.

"I struck up a conversation with the boy in the supply room, Mondo I think his name is. He's a good kid, he was very eager to assist." James said fondly.

Jessie set aside the equipment they needed for that night. "So we're all set?" she looked up at James questioningly.

"I believe so. We need to be ready to leave here at 1am, which means we have the whole evening to rest. I'm going to have a shower and then hopefully get some sleep." James said, rubbing his neck. "I need it after last night." he added glumly.

Jessie rolled her eyes as they both turned away from the table, and they stopped short at the sight of Meowth batting the string ball across the dusty floor. They both pressed their hands to their lips to stifle their laughter, eyebrows raised in surprise and amusement. James wiped a tear from his eye and they fell against each other, still attempting to supress their giggles as they watched him bound after it, a look of pure bliss on his furry face.

xXx

Meowth lay curled up on an old armchair, the warm rays gleaming through the window on to his fur, worn out from his feline activities. Jessie clutched a steaming mug of coffee as she pored over the blueprints, etching the layout in to her mind. James had excused himself and entered the bedroom, scanning his eyes over the two single beds. The cabin was far from luxurious but his aching body relished the prospect of a comfortable sleep.

James entered the en-suite bathroom, tugging off his shirt and t-shirt and hanging them on the door hook. He had been looking forward to this all day, anything to relieve some of the pain in his neck and shoulder. He tenderly pressed his fingers in to his shoulder with one hand, turning on the taps connected to the old shower hose with the other. James looked up in annoyance at the pathetic deluge of water. He turned both taps on full blast, relieved to see the shower spurt to life, however this was short-lived when he ran his hand under the lukewarm stream. Sighing, he turned the cold tap down and waited, desperately trying to detect an increase in temperature in his fingers, closing his eyes in despair when nothing happened.

"Perfect." he muttered, grabbing his clothes and storming back in to the bedroom, throwing the garments on to the nearest bed in frustration and jarring his neck in the process. "Oh for Arceus' sake!" he yelled, clutching at his neck. Sighing in defeat, he sank on to the foot of the bed and gingerly rested his head in his hands. He didn't notice Jessie approach the doorway and lean against the doorframe, sipping her coffee thoughtfully.

Jessie had come to investigate to source of James' distress and found her partner shirtless with his face obscured by hands and hair. "What's wrong?" she asked.

James didn't look up. "No hot water." he replied mournfully.

Jessie studied her team mate as she sipped her coffee. As much as she was fed up of him whining about his neck, she understood his concern - tonight's mission would require them all to be in top physical form. An idea popped in to her head and she chewed her lip as she toyed with it. _'Would it be weird?'_ she thought to herself, watching as James removed his hands from his face and pressed his fingers in to where his neck met his shoulder. _'Ah, screw it.'_ she decided impulsively, striding back in to the other room to retrieve something from her rucksack before returning to the bedroom.

Jessie removed her boots and flung them in to the corner, and walked over towards James who looked more and more confused as Jessie climbed on the bed and knelt behind him.

"Um, Jess…? What are…" James tried to turn to look at her but winced when he couldn't.

"Keep still James." Jessie ordered, squeezing some moisturiser on to her hands. She'd never done this before but how hard could it be? Making sure her fingers were suitably covered in cream, she placed her hands on his shoulders, moving her fingers in circles down towards his collarbone and gently pressing her thumbs along the base of his neck.

Jessie couldn't see James' face but she could tell he was anxious and could feel how tense he was. "I need you in tip top shape for tonight. You're not gonna be much good if you can't even turn your head properly. Now do us both a favour and relax, would you?"

James took a deep breath and lowered his head, allowing her fingers to knead his aching muscles. He closed his eyes. This felt good.

"You ought to be grateful," Jessie continued in a mock-serious voice, "do you have any idea how expensive this moisturiser is?"

"And how much did you pay for it Jessie?" James retorted with a smirk.

"That's not the point!" she snapped, though a playful smile tugged at her lips.

Jessie continued to work her fingers over James' neck and shoulders. This was easy! Nothing to it! _'Just another thing that I'm amazing at.'_ she boasted to herself as she firmly slid her fingers over the base of his neck, then back over his collarbone. He had a really nice collarbone. _'What? Where did that come from?'_ Jessie questioned. _'It's just a collarbone, honestly Jessie!'_ she chided herself.

"Where does it hurt?" she asked James, focussing back on the task at hand.

James slowly opened his eyes, her voice bringing him out of the trance he'd fallen in to. "Left side, neck and shoulder blade."

Jessie touched her fingers to the left side of his neck, James tilting his head to the right as she did. "Here?" she enquired.

"Mmm, a bit lower."

"What about here?"

"Not quite." James reached up his hand and caught her fingers in his own, and this time it was Jessie's turn to be puzzled. "May I?" he offered, and he pressed her fingers in to his skin, inhaling as he did so and tilting his head further, stretching out the troublesome muscles.

Jessie took note of the course his fingers took, and she imitated them.

"That's it, just er, harder, if you wouldn't mind?" James asked hesitantly.

Jessie firmly massaged her fingers where James had indicated, smiling at the soft moan that escaped his lips. She must be in the right place.

James closed his eyes again, his aching muscles relishing the pressure of Jessie's fingertips. He had never been touched in a way that brought him this much pleasure, his previous experiences with women had been awkward, or humiliating and painful… he banished the thought from his mind, he wouldn't think about that right now. He was just going to enjoy this. He wouldn't allow memories of _her_ to tarnish this experience. James focussed on the way Jessie's fingers moved over his skin, unable to stop another moan as she added more pressure.

"Mmmm, this… ahhh, this feels good. Really good" James sighed.

Jessie felt a blush creep on to her face at the sounds he was making, and couldn't help the smile on her lips, knowing that she was the source. She was extremely glad he couldn't see her face. He moaned again as she moved her fingers downwards towards the top of his shoulder blade, using his reaction to judge location, rhythm and pressure.

James hung his head down as her hands moved lower. The way she kneaded him in just the right place was sublime. He was no longer in control of the noises he was making. He hoped he wasn't making her feel awkward or embarrassed.

Jessie tried to ignore the heat in her belly as she worked her fingers downwards. _'I'm sure everyone makes these noises during massages, hell even I'd be making them if it were me.'_ she assured herself as he grew louder still. _'This isn't weird, it's perfectly normal…'_ her thoughts were interrupted as her fingers found an ever-so-slightly raised line of smoother skin, and she looked down at his back, eyebrows knotted in confusion. Keeping her fingers moving, she glanced back up at his head, but he showed no sign he was aware of her distraction. Slowly moving her upper body back, she took a proper look at his skin. Her fingers had found a long thin scar, snaking its way across the bottom of his shoulder blade. Her eyes darted across his back, and to her horror she discovered multiple crisscrossing scars distorting his skin.

 _'What the hell?'_ she wondered, shocked. _'They must be pretty old, they're barely visible. But he didn't have them when I knew him…'_ Her heart plummeted as she finally understood why he never changed his top in front of her when they were younger, and tears pricked at her eyes. _'This happened when he was a KID?'_ Jessie could feel the rage bubbling up inside her.

"Um… Jess?" James opened one eye and raised his eyebrow, briefly wondering why she had stopped. And then it hit him. He had forgotten. Well, _forgotten_ wasn't exactly the right word. He could never _forget_. But although he hoped he would maybe one day be able to come to terms with the mental scars, he had at least learnt to accept he would always bear the physical scars of a tortured childhood, and so was much more comfortable not wearing a shirt than when he was younger.

James tentatively turned his head from side to side, relieved when he found the pain had lessened significantly. He scooted sideways on the bed and leaned against the wall, now facing Jessie. Her fists and teeth were clenched and he could see the rage in her eyes threatening to spill over her cheeks. He looked down, almost ashamed that his history was upsetting her so much. He didn't ever want to cause her pain.

Jessie's breath was shaky. "Wh… Who?" she managed to get out.

James would have found it funny that Jessie was pretty much speechless, had it not been for the fury emanating from her.

"I hope you understand when I say I can't talk about this right now," he said darkly, not looking up at her. "I know we've technically known each other forever, but we've only just met each other again, and this… this is something I'm still dealing with myself. " He sniffed, a single tear falling on to his chest. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to talk about it. But it was a long time ago. Please don't let it upset you." He looked up and met her gaze.

His eyes were so full of pain that it broke her heart, and Jessie couldn't hold his gaze for long. Her eyes flickered down to his chest, and her stomach churned when she noticed similar scars on his torso. She choked back a sob as a few tears spilled down her face. She was too proud to cry, that was true. But this was different. This was pure anger at the thought of someone hurting someone she cared about.

James, not wanting to cause his friend any more anguish, leaned over to grab his t-shirt from further up the bed, and he stood and moved away from her. As he was about to put it on, Jessie grabbed his arm and he suddenly found her in front of him. Jessie gently placed a hand on his chest as she stared up at him, before pulling him in to a hug. James wound his arms around her and stroked her head, and became aware of two things: She smelled like strawberries. And surprisingly, it didn't hurt quite so much in her arms.

James gave her a gentle squeeze. "Thanks." He murmured in to her hair.

"What for?" she sniffed.

"For the massage. It really helped. Thank you." Although it felt to James like all that pleasure occurred eons ago.

Jessie released him. "Don't mention it." She smiled up at him.

James returned the smile. "I should get some sleep. I'm pretty tired." He yawned as soon as the words left his mouth, as though his body was agreeing with him. "Ready for our big night tonight."

Jessie nodded, and grabbed her boots and made her way towards the door, pulling the curtains closed as she walked past the window. "Night James."

"Night Jessie."


	6. Chapter 6 - Crush

Chapter 6 – Crush

 _James sat at the grand piano situated in the corner of the elegant ballroom, lips pursed in concentration as he studied the sheet music, his fingers gliding over the keys in response. His music tutor, Madame Aurora sat beside him as she watched him play, occasionally turning the page for him. James let out a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding as he finished the song – it was definitely more complicated than any of the others he had been learning so far. He timidly looked up at Madame Aurora, hoping he had done well, and to his relief she was smiling down at him._

 _"That was an excellent first attempt Master James. You really do have a flair for the piano."_

 _James smiled in response. "Thank you Madame Aurora."_

 _"I would like you to work on this through the week, especially those tricky bars in the middle." Madame Aurora glanced at her watch. "We have a few moments left. Let's have a run-through of Bach's Prelude in C."_

 _James grinned as he skimmed through the book looking for the right page. This was the one he knew the best, and so he loved playing it. He set the book on the stand and flexed his fingers, took a deep breath, and started to play. As much as he hated the majority of his lessons, he adored the music lessons. Especially the piano. He loved the beautiful pieces of music, and felt so happy and proud whenever he mastered one, though still in awe that it was actually him – James who couldn't do anything right – that was creating such a beautiful sound. There weren't many happy moments in his life, but spending time with Growlie, visiting Nanny and Pop-Pop, and playing the piano, they were things that made him happy._

 _As James' fingers flew gracefully over the keys, he heard the door open. Not tearing his eyes away from the notes, he assumed it was Hopkins, ready to escort Madame Aurora to her car._

 _"Ah, hello dear Jessebelle." said Madame Aurora._

 _James' breath caught in his throat. As her footsteps slowly clicked across the polished floor, he willed himself to concentrate. He swallowed hard, eyes fixed on the sheet music. The footsteps grew louder. James winced as he played a wrong note. His heart was beating furiously in his chest. He couldn't make another mistake. His fingers were trembling, and as her footsteps approached the piano, he hit three more wrong notes. He didn't look up but knew she was standing to the side, watching his every move._

 _James managed to get to the end of the song with only two more mistakes. Madame Aurora stood up._

 _"Well done Master James. Keep practising and you'll have that one perfect in no time."_

 _James stood too. "Thank you Madame Aurora. I shall continue to practise." He gave a small bow in farewell and smiled politely at her, though inside he was begging her not to leave._

 _"I'll see you on Tuesday for your violin lesson." Madame Aurora waved as she departed, and as the door closed James' whole body shook with fear._

 _"Mah dear sweet James," Jessebelle cooed from behind him, as she roughly grabbed his shoulder and steered him back to the piano seat, forcing him to sit. "Why, I can help you with your practising."_

 _James gulped as Jessebelle leant over his shoulder and turned to the start of the song. He shuddered as she ran her fingers along his back as she moved to stand to the side of him, towering over him. Jessebelle reached in to her purse and slowly withdrew something long and thin, and James realised with a jolt it was a cane. His eyes widened in terror._

 _"Oh James, you're not sitting properly."_

 _James quickly corrected his posture, and tried to stop shaking._

 _"Now play." Jessebelle ordered, running the cane through her fingers, a sadistic smile on her perfectly painted lips._

 _James nervously pressed the keys, trying to focus on the notes in front of him. His fingers were trembling and tears pricked behind his eyes. He could feel Jessebelle's eyes on him. James desperately tried to concentrate, but the pressure and terror were too much._

 _CRACK!_

 _Jessebelle's cane slammed down on to his knuckles as he made his first mistake, and he bit his bottom lip to prevent him from crying out, tears falling from both the pain and the fear..._

James eyes flew open at the sound of his alarm ringing on the bedside table. He fumbled for the bedside light switch, turned the alarm off and lay back down, heart hammering in his chest, and he absentmindedly rubbed his fingers as he pushed the images from his dream out of his mind. He hated that she had destroyed something that made him so happy, that she took so much delight in crushing his spirit, crushing the very essence of who he was in order to try to mould him and shape him. And he hated the fact that even after all these years he still had nightmares, hated that she could still terrify him so badly. He closed his eyes and sighed, rubbing his hands over his face.

"Ugh, what time is it?" Jessie called sleepily from the other side of the room.

James glanced at his alarm clock. "Eleven." He sat up and swung his legs out of bed, and yawned. "Coffee?" he asked his half-asleep team mate.

"Mmmmmm" Jessie grunted in reply. She watched as James got out of bed, wearing a black t-shirt and white boxers with some sort of pattern. As he passed by her bed, she stifled a laugh. "Seriously? Growlithe boxers? How old are you?"

James looked down and grinned. "What?" he shrugged. "I love Growlithe!"

Jessie sat up as James left the room, and swung her legs out of bed, stretching her arms above her head and yawning loudly. She rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath. Tonight was a big night! She needed to be alert and focussed. However, every time she closed her eyes all she could see was the scars weaving across James' skin, and it made her blood boil. After she had left the bedroom earlier that afternoon, Jessie had opted to go for a walk through the forest, in order to vent her anger away from her sleeping team mates.

 _Jessie found a stream and sat perched on a rock, picking up stones at random and flinging them hard in to the water. She wondered why it hurt so badly. Sure, he was her friend and she cared about him, but she could still feel the rage coursing through her veins and the level of anger and pain she felt surprised her. She threw another rock in to the water, watching the ripples floating outwards. Jessie may have been selfish at times, but she was also protective too. Like a Ninetails protecting her cubs. Her mind flashed back to Chansey, and to James during Tech and the bike gang. Jessie sighed. She supposed she still felt protective of James, despite the fact they were now adults. The truth was, it scared her how easily the two of them seemed to be able to fall back in to place with each other. Like nothing had changed. But so much HAD changed. She was not the same person he knew back then._

Jessie finished getting dressed and made her way in to the living area, in desperate need of coffee. James was sitting at the table, still in his t-shirt and boxers, clutching a mug of tea and studying the blueprints. Jessie plopped down on to a seat and grabbed her coffee, sipping it gratefully. They sat in silence for a moment, before Jessie spoke.

"You used to have one, right?"

James looked at his partner, puzzled. "One what?"

"A Growlithe." Jessie explained. "I remember you mentioning him a few times."

James nodded. "Yes, as a child." He sipped his tea, images of Growlie flashing through his mind. He missed his beloved Pokémon so much.

"Where is he now?" Jessie enquired.

"He's still at home. As far as I'm aware, anyway."

Jessie raised an eyebrow. "As far as you're aware? Didn't you go home after I… after we parted ways?"

A wave of nausea passed over James at the idea of ever returning home. He took a deep breath, trying to formulate an answer that wouldn't reveal too much.

Jessie noticed James had paled at her words, and she cursed inwardly, thinking it was to do with bringing up their separation. _'Way to go, Jess.'_

Thankfully James was spared having to answer as Meowth came in the front door, a chill sweeping round the cabin before he slammed the door closed.

"Where have you been?" Jessie asked, thankful for a change of subject.

"Bit a prowlin', bit a gazin' at da moon, ya know, dis an' dat." Meowth jumped up on to the table. "Yous guys all set for tonight?"

Jessie flashed a confident smile. "Of course!"

"Almost." James finished his tea and stood, making his way to the bedroom to get changed.

Meowth snickered. "Heh, nice boxers dere Jimmy!"

xXx

A couple of hours later, the trio were pressed up against the wall of the Pokémon centre. James checked his watch. The time showed it was ten past two.

"Chansey should be finishing its hourly rounds shortly." he whispered to his team mates.

Meowth peered round the corner, the light was still on in Chansey's sleeping quarters. Anxiously they waited, James continuously checking his watch. If Chansey wasn't done by quarter past, the mission could end up at risk.

"Lights out, let's move!" whispered Meowth as he waved a paw, and the three Rockets tiptoed their way to the back entrance. James lowered his rucksack to the ground and crouched, to allow Meowth on to his back in order to reach the lock. He extended a claw, ready to start, but instead of a keyhole he was met with a black box. "What in the hell is dat?!" he hissed.

Jessie flicked on her flashlight long enough for the three to get a good look. To their horror, they saw an electronic keypad.

"You're kidding!" Jessie whispered furiously. "The intel didn't mention anything about this!"

"Should we try another door?" asked Meowth, jumping down from James' back.

"Don't worry," James said, reaching in to a side pocket of his rucksack. "I've got this." He withdrew the small toolkit Mondo had provided. "I knew this would come in handy! Now, stand aside!" He stood, calm and collected, as his team mates eyed him with surprise. "Jessie, flashlight, if you'd be so kind."

Jessie watched in amazement as James removed the cover panel and parted the wiring, inspecting the different components and checking which wires lead where. Meowth stood as look-out, occasionally glancing over his shoulder to see how they were getting on. James blew the stands of hair from his eyes and muttered to himself, studying the electronics and finally making a decision. He placed his screwdriver on one of the tiny buttons deep within the keypad, and with his other hand positioned two fingers on both bottom corner buttons on the front of the keypad, which was dangling limply to the side. James took a deep breath, glancing up at Jessie. Knowing he was right but licking his lips nervously, he held down the inner button and pressed the two front buttons simultaneously. The keypad emitted a small beep, and they heard the door unlock.

Meowth ran over, and he and Jessie tiptoed softly through the open door as James screwed the front panel back on, hoping to cover their tracks. He quickly stashed his tools and hoisted his rucksack on to his shoulders, placing two stones in between the door and doorframe in order to keep it from locking behind them. He joined his team mates at the door at the end of the corridor.

Jessie, who had memorised the layout, took the lead. The trio crept quietly through the door, following the corridor until they reached a junction. Jessie and James crouched and the three put their heads together.

"Meowth, that way," Jessie indicated left. "We're that way." She nodded right. "Earpieces and mikes on now." The three pushed a tiny button on their equipment, and nodded when they were activated.

James checked his watch, showing the time to his team mates. It was now 2:25am. They were running behind. "Next round is at three." Jessie whispered. "We need to be out by ten to three. Rendezvous point at three. Don't be late."

"There are two stones propping the door open. Meowth, when you leave, remove a stone. When we leave," he glanced at Jessie, "we'll remove a stone. If yours is the last stone, the door will close and lock behind you. That way, we'll know the other is out safely." instructed James.

The humans stood and nodded at their feline companion, and he nodded in return. Meowth dropped to all fours and scarpered off down the corridor. His earpiece and microphone were well concealed by his fur, so pretending to be a regular Meowth shouldn't be a problem. And as much as he hated reverting to walking on all fours, he had to admit, he could go much faster. Using his exceptional hearing, he paused just before the sleeping quarters. Detecting nothing, he softly padded past the rooms and round the corner, pausing again just out of sight but thankfully everything was still silent. Grinning, he sped off towards the office.

xXx

Jessie and James crept past the reception area and through a large door leading to the infirmary and healing area. James checked his watch.

"Time check. Time is now two thirty. Over." he whispered in to the mike. He waited for Meowth's acknowledgement before following Jessie along the corridor and in to the healing area. Quietly closing the door behind them, they both flicked on their flashlights, noting the layout and spotting the Pokéball storage across the room. They tiptoed to the cabinets, and James removed the bag from his rucksack as Jessie opened a door at random, however it revealed nothing but an empty tray. Frowning, she closed it and opened another. It was empty. Jessie grit her teeth in irritation. This couldn't be happening!

James, who was stood further down, opened a door to reveal six Pokéballs. "Jessie!" he whispered, and after getting her attention, nodded at the door. Sighing in relief, Jessie moved down to join him at the other end. They quickly opened doors and removed the trays, pouring the Pokéballs in to the sack.

xXx

Meowth quietly unlocked the door to the office and stepped inside. He didn't require a flashlight as he could see better in the dark than his human team mates. Glancing around, he made his way over to a desk, and extended a claw to unlock the drawers.

"Paperwoik. More paperwoik. Where's the loot?" he mumbled to himself. Locking the drawers, he moved on to another desk. "Bingo!" he grinned, spying a small locked box and removing it. He deftly unlocked it and found a wad of cash, and his eyes lit up. He returned the box and continued searching, finding a similar box in another drawer, this one revealing a handful of evolution stones. "Ha ha! Poifect!"

Meowth scanned the room, the only thing remaining was a filing cabinet. Jumping on to a chair, he unlocked it and rummaged through the middle shelves. Finding nothing, he hopped to the floor and searched the lower shelves. "Nada." he sighed, taking a step back and looking up at the top shelves, scratching his head. He pressed his paw to his ear as James' voice came through, informing him it was 2:40am. "Gotcha." Meowth replied in to the tiny microphone, before jumping back on to the chair and staring up at the top shelf, eyes narrowed in concentration, and he crouched, poised to jump, even wiggling his butt for good measure. He was a scratch cat after all, he could do this!

Meowth was about to spring when he detected a sound, and his ears pricked up. He held his breath and waited. He heard it again, it was too faint to make out what it was but there was definitely _something_ making a noise. Quickly locking the filing cabinet and grabbing the cash and the stones, he opened the door just a crack, and listened. His eyes widened in fear.

xXx

Jessie and James emptied tray after tray in to the sack, both wearing identical devious grins, ecstatic things were finally going right after the earlier hiccups. James checked his watch, which revealed it was 2:45. They needed to leave soon. James was about to radio through a time update to Meowth, when they both heard Meowth's frantic whispering in their ears.

"Chansey outta bed! I repeat, Chansey outta bed! Go!"

James and Jessie stared at each other in alarm. "Copy that! Rendezvous. Go!" James whispered as Jessie closed the cabinet doors. They quickly hauled themselves towards the door and stood listening. They knew Chansey was over Meowth's side of the Poké centre, but they weren't going to take any chances. Nodding to each other, they shut the door behind them and sped quietly along the corridor, Jessie in the lead. Breathing heavily with dread, Jessie gently pushed open the door in to the reception area, and the two slowly poked their heads around, relieved when they saw and heard nothing.

Silently, they made their way through reception towards the door at the other side. Jessie was about to open it when James heard a distant sound.

"Chansey! Chansey! Chansey! Chansey! Chansey!"

Not stopping to think, James threw the bag of Pokéballs underneath the reception desk, and grabbed Jessie and pushed her behind a filing cabinet, pinning her between his body and the wall. Jessie glared up at him, eyes like thunder, but he placed a finger on her lips, urging her to remain quiet. A second later, they heard the door open and Jessie's expression became panicked instead, although she was extremely grateful for James' quick thinking. As Chansey entered the room, James crushed his body as tightly as he could against hers. Jessie quietly reached her arms around his rucksack and squeezed, hoping to ensure it was adequately hidden. Both held their breath, hearts hammering against their chests, so much so that the other could feel it. James closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the wall, desperately willing Chansey to hurry up.

"Chansey! Chansey! Chansey! Chansey!" Chansey repeated as it strolled past the front of the reception desk.

Jessie nervously watched Chansey from behind James' shoulder, knowing that if it turned to look in their direction, they would be spotted. Yet despite her worry, she was becoming more and more distracted by the fact that she was incredibly aware of every part of James' body that was pressed against her, aware of his firm chest, aware of his intoxicating aftershave filling her nostrils, aware of his leg between hers, aware of his hips…

Jessie barely noticed when Chansey finally disappeared through the door to the infirmary and healing area, only realising when James lessened his pressure on her.

"Sorry." James whispered in to Jessie's ear, and he stared at the door Chansey had disappeared through, waiting a few moments before completely stepping back from Jessie. "We need to go." he said as he retrieved the Pokéballs. Jessie didn't move. "Now!" he urged.

Jessie looked up at him in surprise, snapping out of her reverie.

 _'Is she blushing?'_ James wondered, puzzled. A split second later, he realised why – he was so focussed on not being caught he hadn't noticed during their hiding how close they must have been. James felt a blush creep on to his cheeks at the realisation, closely followed by a distinct feeling of disappointment that he hadn't acknowledged it at the time. _'Wait, what?!'_ James frowned, unsure of what to make of it.

Jessie, who was now fully alert, grabbed James by the hand and pulled him soundlessly out of the room, and they ran as softly as they could down the corridor, Jessie leading the way. They bolted round the corner where they had separated from Meowth, and through the door leading to the last corridor. Thankfully, the exit was still propped open. James removed the single stone, and the door closed behind him. Without looking back, the pair of Rockets fled the scene, dashing through the night towards the rendezvous point.


	7. Chapter 7 - Lucky You

Chapter 7 – Lucky You

Meowth, who had been nervously pacing behind the trees, let out a sigh of relief as he spied his team mates running towards him.

"What took you guys so long?" he hissed as they reached the safety of the woods.

Jessie placed her hands on her knees. "Awww, Meowth, were you worried about us?" she mocked between heavy breaths.

James slumped against a tree, his heart still hammering in his chest from running. He exhaled deeply and ran his fingers through his hair. "Did you get a good haul Meowth?" he questioned.

Meowth grinned a toothy grin. "You betcha! I…"

A siren in the distance caused the three to stare at each other in horror.

"SCRAM!" yelled Meowth, and the three Rockets dashed through the undergrowth away from Celadon City.

Meowth lead the way as they reached the end of the wood and sprinted over the fields towards the northern area of Viridian Forest. Even though it was dark, they could make out the black of the trees far away in the distance, and they kept their sights on it as they willed their legs to go faster. The sound of running water announced they were about halfway, and they scanned the dark looking for the bridge they had come over on. Meowth pointed ahead off to the right as they ran, and the trio made a bee-line for it, Jessie and James cringing at the echo of their boots on the wood, sounding so much louder in the quiet night.

As Meowth and Jessie approached the end of the bridge, James shouted for them to stop.

"Wait," he panted, glancing back towards Celadon. "the last thing we need is a pack of Growlithe following our scent. I have an idea, but we need to take a detour."

Jessie paused, torn between wanting to get back quickly and not wanting Officer Jenny on their trail. She looked back towards Celadon, squinting through the darkness for any sign of them being followed. "What's your plan?"

"Instead of heading that way," he gestured north towards the trees ahead of them, "we follow the stream that way for a while." He pointed to the east. James waved his hands defensively at the outcries from his team mates. "It'll throw them off our trail! Then, using the stream to mask our scent, we go towards that section of the forest," he gestured west. "The stream goes all the way in to the forest, once we reach it we can head north towards the cabin."

Meowth eyed the stream anxiously. "You mean, we gotta walk through da water?"

James nodded. "The Growlithe won't be able to track us. It's not deep, probably not even knee-high. We can wade all the way to safety!" He looked at Jessie. "What do you think we should do? It's your call."

Jessie frowned at the stream. She couldn't deny it was a good idea, but she really didn't want to get cold and wet in the middle of the night. She looked towards the trees in the distance and back again towards Celadon. "I don't know James." She said hesitantly. "It would add on so much time."

"I ain't walkin' through dat, no way!" Meowth folded his arms defensively.

"I didn't expect you to," James smiled. "You can ride on my shoulder."

Meowth weighed up his options. His legs were tired from running and he couldn't deny the thought of riding on James' shoulder whilst the other two dealt with the freezing water appealed to him greatly. "Yeah, I'm with Jimmy on dis one. We gotta cover our tracks."

Jessie glared at the scratch cat. "Turncoat!" she hissed.

"It's your decision Jessie, but it needs making right now." James urged.

Jessie sighed in defeat. "Fine. Wading it is." she grumbled.

"Don't ya mean walking?" Meowth asked as they sprinted eastwards.

After ten minutes or so, they stopped and caught their breath, both humans dreading the next part of the plan. James, knowing that this was on him, braced himself and stepped in to the stream, biting his lip as the cold liquid stung his lower legs. He was suddenly jealous of Jessie's knee-high boots. Securing his footing, he turned to his team mates.

"It's f-fine." he said as he inadvertently shivered, causing his partners to raise their eyebrows. James reached out his hand to Meowth, who clambered up James' arm to safety. Chewing her lip and looking around her as if searching for a way out of the situation, Jessie hesitantly approached the edge. James reached out his hand again, and he smiled up at her and nodded in encouragement. Gritting her teeth, Jessie took James' hand and stepped in to the stream.

xXx

Despite the cold water and the slippery stones underfoot, the Rocket trio were making good time. They had passed under the bridge a while back and were steadily approaching the forest. Jessie, despite her earlier reservations, was now actually feeling quite impressed with James and his idea. Compared to the shy boy she once knew, James seemed to have grown in to a confident and resourceful man. Jessie smiled to herself as she waded (or walked!) hand in hand with her partner, both keeping the other steady over the perilous stones.

With simultaneous sighs of relief, they entered the forest, grateful for the cover of darkness as the skies tuned a dusky pink behind them. They stopped for a moment, James adjusting his rucksack and Pokéball sack, careful not to knock Meowth into the water.

"Shall we continue for ten more minutes before heading north?" James enquired, turning to face Jessie.

Jessie nodded in reply, and they splashed forwards, thoughts of dry socks and a comfortable bed spurring them on.

They hadn't got very far when disaster struck. Jessie tried desperately to steady herself as her feet slipped from under her, yanking hard on James' hand who in turn was jerked violently sideways. Meowth leapt with all his might towards the forest floor as Jessie shrieked, sighing with relief when he landed safely away from the water. He turned to watch his team mate's predicament with interest. Jessie was half sitting, half lying in the stream with her shoulders and head against the muddy bank, one hand enveloped in mud resulting from her efforts to prevent her fall, her other hand still holding on to a panic-stricken James, who although had managed to secure his footing was awkwardly bent over.

"Oh Jessie, I'm so sorry!" he cried, wading over to her and offering his free hand. "Are you hurt?" Jessie shivered violently in reply. "Jessie, take my hand. We need to get you back to the cabin! Now!" commanded James.

Jessie could barely speak from the shock of the icy water, the cold like knives against her skin. She willed herself to move, to grasp on to James' other hand, but her limbs were as heavy as lead.

Frantic with worry at Jessie's lack of response, and feelings of guilt and of devastation that he couldn't stop it crashing down over him, James splashed over to her side and gently yet determinedly lifted his team mate out of the water, hooking her arm over his shoulders.

"Can you walk?" he asked, adjusting his bags and wrapping his arm around her waist. She nodded in reply, shivering and teeth chattering. Pulling her close to him, they set off hurriedly through the trees, James ordering Meowth to lead the way.

James berated himself as he hauled Jessie through the forest. He would have given _anything_ to trade places with her. Her breathing was erratic and he could feel her trembling. "Not too far now Jessie." he promised as their feet found the winding path that lead back to their cabin. Ignoring his bursting lungs and screaming muscles, knowing that it was _nothing_ compared to what Jessie must be feeling, he quickened his pace.

Meowth unlocked the door and allowed his team mates to stagger inside. His little legs were aching from the walk, but he didn't complain. Although his relationship with Jessie had yet to be established, James had been nothing but kind to him since they had met, and he could see the anguish in his eyes.

"What can I do, Jimmy?" Meowth asked as James grabbed the cushions from the sofa and threw them on to the floor, and slowly deposited Jessie on to them.

"Warm water and a washcloth." James ordered as he knelt in front of the fire, frantically trying to light it, agitatedly blowing strands of hair from his face. The fire finally started to glow, and he threw a couple of logs on.

Jessie sat shivering against the sofa, her jaw clamped shut from the cold and her skin crawling from the caked-on mud. She had survived some harsh winters on the streets but she didn't think she'd ever felt _this_ cold. She wrapped her arms tightly around herself, trying unsuccessfully to stop trembling.

James disappeared in to the bedroom and quickly returned with a duvet. As the fire sprang to life, he knelt next to Jessie and placed a hand on her cheek, turning her head to face him.

"Jessie, we need to get you out of these wet clothes. I'll do everything I can to protect your modesty, ok?"

Shivering, Jessie nodded in reply.

"I'm going to take off your boots, is that ok?" he asked, afraid of overstepping any boundaries but aware that he needed to help his team mate. Acknowledging a second nod, he attempted to pull off the first boot unsuccessfully, the sodden material clinging stubbornly to her skin. Nervously clearing his throat, he timidly gripped the top, apologising over and over every time his fingers touched her thigh. After a few attempts, he was able to peel the fabric down enough to slip off the boot, and he turned his attention to the other one.

Once Jessie's boots and socks were removed, James grabbed the duvet and held it up between them.

"Jessie, do you think you can manage to undress?" James squeaked.

"Y-yeah." Jessie replied through chattering teeth. Every part of her body hurt, right down to the bone. Her fingers were stiff from the cold but she eventually managed to peel off her uniform, cringing as the cold wet muddy material dragged over her face, until she was down to her underwear, her desire for warmth negating any awkwardness on her part.

"D-done." She managed to get out.

James, who despite holding the thick duvet up between them, was also facing away over his shoulder with his eyes squeezed firmly shut. "Ok, lean forwards." he requested, and still with his eyes tightly shut, wrapped the duvet snugly around her.

Tentatively opening his eyes, James sank down beside her and rubbed her arms vigorously through the duvet. Meowth, who had been watching from a distance, now approached with a basin of water and set it beside James.

"Thank you Meowth." smiled James gratefully, scratching the feline behind the ear.

Jessie could feel the warmth starting to return to her body. The now-roaring fire coupled with finally being out of her wet uniform caused her fingers and toes to tingle painfully as her blood flow increased. She wrapped the duvet tighter around herself, her jaw still clenched although not just through cold, but through rising anger too.

James, who was blissfully unaware of the powder keg beside him, squeezed the warm water from the washcloth and turned to Jessie, smiling warmly at his team mate. _'She actually looks adorable with mud on her face'_ he thought to himself affectionately, bringing the washcloth up to her cheek.

The moment it made contact with her skin, Jessie slapped James' hand away.

"Don't!" Jessie glared at him as his expression morphed in to that of a Stantler caught in headlights, which only made her angrier. "I don't need your help James. I can take care of myself!" she spat, shuffling her body away from him. "I don't need you and your stupid ideas! Look at my HAIR!" she roared as James recoiled.

"Dis ain't his fault Jess!" Meowth said incredulously. "Ya can't go blamin' Jimmy!"

James could feel the familiar lump in his throat coupled with the sting of tears. He blinked and stared at the floor, bottom lip trembling.

"Next time you have a 'great idea', keep it to yourself. In fact, from now on, leave the thinking to me!"

James stood and turned away from her, not wanting Jessie to see the tears spilling over his flushed cheeks. _'This is all my fault,'_ he silently chastised himself, feelings of worthlessness and guilt washing over him. _'And now look at her! Freezing and caked in mud. Is it any wonder she's so angry with me?'_ James glanced over at his team mate through strands of lavender, and suddenly had an epiphany. _'Wait… that's it! She's not angry with me, she's just angry! And who could blame her?'_ Wiping his cheeks and kicking himself for not realising sooner, James walked over to the kitchen area and grabbed his half-empty bottle of rum, pouring two generous measures in to glasses. Taking a deep breath and praying she wouldn't bite his head off again, he walked back to Jessie and held out a glass.

"To help warm you up. Purely medicinal of course." he smiled down at her.

Jessie snatched the glass from his hand, although her face had softened slightly. James sat down, making sure he wasn't too close to her, and removed his boots and peeled off his socks before leaning back against the sofa and taking a drink, the feel of the wet material of his trousers on his lower legs making him shudder.

He turned to Jessie. "We did it!" he grinned. "Our first mission! We did it Jessie!"

A ghost of a smile played at her lips. "We did, didn't we?!" Jessie turned to face her partner, and couldn't help but smile at his ridiculously wide grin and the excitement in his eyes. Shaking her head she turned back to the fire and sipped her drink.

"We were awesome." she said after a few moments.

"You were awesome." James replied warmly.

Meowth, who had dragged a pillow over to the fire and was currently stretched out on his back, raised his paw. "I was awesome!"

James chuckled. "Yes you were Meowth!" he grinned at the scratch-cat.

Jessie eyed James as he spoke to Meowth, glad he hadn't taken her anger to heart. Not that she would ever apologise, but she hoped he knew she didn't mean what she said. She held out her glass. "Here's to us!"

James smiled as he gently clinked her glass with his. "To us!"

"So Jimmy, howd'ya know what to do with dat keypad?" Meowth asked as he sat up.

Both sets of eyes landed on James. "Well, I'm quite handy with electronics. My Pop-pop taught me a few things as a child, and when I got older I used to find things in the trash and fix them up to use or sell." Jessie nodded in recollection. "I guess I just learned as I went, figuring out what worked and what didn't. It's something I continued with after the bike gang, it was a good way to make money." James took a drink before continuing. "However, after the bike gang, I found myself on the streets and needed shelter, and I was able to gain entry to various buildings and warehouses and such. Not that I ever stole anything, you understand. I only broke in for a safe place to stay. Little did I know that being able to override security systems would lead me to Team Rocket!"

Jessie's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"The last warehouse I broke in to, it was a very complex alarm system. It took me a long time to crack it. I stayed there for about a week before they found me…"

 _James ran through the lashing rain towards the warehouse, the cold wind whipping round him and stinging his face and ears. Weaving through the puddles, he finally reached the door and punched in the access code, slamming the door behind him once he was safely away from the bitter elements. The sound of footsteps running towards him caused James to whip around, just as a large burly man reached him, grabbing him by the neck and slamming him against the door._

 _"You picked the wrong building to break in to." The guy said menacingly._

 _James gulped in fear. "I'm sorry!" he managed to squeak. "I just needed a place to stay! I haven't stolen anything, I promise! Just let me go!" he pleaded, eyes widening as another man came in to his vision._

 _"It's not up to us," the other guy said as the burly guy swung James round and grabbed his wrists, tying them tightly behind his back. James winced as the rope dug in to his skin. "The boss'll decide what to do with you." he continued, and the two men laughed causing James to blanch._

 _The burly man pushed James to the floor. "Stay." He ordered before they walked across the room to make a phone call, James presumed to their boss. What had he gotten himself in to?! James glanced around the room. His minimal belongings had been strewn across the floor, lying in bits and pieces. His heart sank as he surveyed the damage. Everything he owned had been destroyed._

 _The two men finished their phone call and walked back to James, the bigger one roughly yanking him up by the collar, and they marched him out of the warehouse and crammed him in to the boot of their car. James briefly considered explaining he was rich and could get them money if they let him go, although decided against it after realising being kidnapped was preferable to ending up back at home… with her…_

"Anyway," James concluded his story, "Giovanni was so impressed that I was able to bypass their system that he asked me to join them. And so here I am."

"Wow!" exclaimed Meowth. "You've no idea how lucky you are da boss was in a good mood dat day!"

James' eyes flickered to the woman sat next to him, and he smiled to himself as he took a drink. He knew exactly how lucky he was.


	8. Chapter 8 - I Wanna Hold Your Hand

Chapter 8 – I Wanna Hold Your Hand

It felt to Jessie that she had only just closed her eyes before she was rudely awakened by James' alarm clock. Eyes still closed and brows furrowed in irritation, she pulled the duvet up over her head, hoping to block out the noise. Jessie heard James stir, and she nestled in to her pillow as he switched off the annoying chime. From under the duvet, she heard James tread softly across the floor and out of the room, followed by the distant sound of the kettle. Jessie figured she had about five more minutes before she was woken with a cup of coffee, and she intended to make the most of them.

All too soon, Jessie was roused from sleep by a gentle hand on her shoulder and the smell of coffee in her nostrils. Begrudgingly, she sat up against the headboard. She was grateful for the hot drink but she honestly felt like she could sleep for a week!

"Good morning." James smiled at her, but she could tell he was tired too.

"Morning" she replied as she took her mug from him, blowing on it and savouring the delicious aroma.

James set his tea on his bedside table and took the mission briefing from under his arm, and thumbed through it as he sat on the edge of his bed. "The drop off is at nine. We need to get going shortly." he said, stifling a yawn. "It's not too far from here."

Jessie nodded in response, rubbing her eyes with her fingers. "Ok. But then we're finding somewhere with a working shower." she grumbled as her fingers found a patch of dried mud in her hairline, and she picked at it in annoyance.

"Sounds good." agreed James.

Ten minutes later found the trio dressed and in the living area. Jessie had given up on trying to style her hair. Despite managing to wash off most of the mud from her skin the previous night, her attempts at washing her hair in the basin had failed, and she tutted angrily at her reflection in the mirror as she pulled it up in to a messy bun.

James finished packing away their equipment and retrieved his sleeping bag from the bedroom. He had insisted on Jessie using his duvet through the night, hers was lying in a heap by the sofa, still damp and muddy from the night before. As he returned, the sound of the Rocket cabin's video phone made them jump.

"I wonder who that could be?" James asked, looking at his team mates.

"Why don't ya answer it and find out?" replied Meowth from the comfort of the armchair.

"What if it's the boss?" James asked in alarm.

"Fine, I'll get it then." Sighing, Jessie strode over to the phone and smoothed her hair, hoping she didn't look too much of a mess. Meowth jumped off the armchair and both he and James came to stand behind Jessie.

The screen activated as Jessie pressed a button, and the trio were greeted with the intimidating sight of their leader, only half visible in the shadows.

"Jessie. James. Meowth. I trust your mission was a success?" The only movement on screen was his fingers rubbing the top of Persian's head. Meowth narrowed his eyes.

"Yes sir!" replied Jessie confidently. "I apologise that we haven't sent through our report yet. We only returned from the mission early this morning, we didn't realise you would want it straight away."

Giovanni shook his head. "That's not what this is about." He leaned forwards out of the shadows, his fingers now clasped together in front of him. "I have a new mission for the three of you. The grunts you are meeting this morning have the full briefing to give to you; however, I wanted to speak to you first." He stared at them, unblinking.

James tried his best not to cower away. He was scared of the boss.

"This is normally the kind of mission I give to teams much more experienced than you. However, I'm choosing you three because of James' computer skills, because of Meowth's spying capability, and because…" he leaned forwards even more, now taking up most of the screen and appearing much more threatening, "because I expect great things from you Jessie. I expect you to follow in your mother's footsteps."

A brief look of confusion flickered over the faces of James and Meowth as Jessie swallowed. "Yes sir." Jessie repeated, sounding braver than she felt.

"The three of you will be retrieving some information for me. This information is highly classified. You are not permitted to open any documents. Just bring them to me. And it is vital that this mission remains strictly confidential. Speak to no one about it. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir." The three spoke in unison.

"Very well." Giovanni sank back in to his chair, obscuring most of his face in shadow. "Dismissed." The screen went black.

The three Rockets let out a breath they didn't realise they'd been holding.

"Whaddaya suppose dat's about?" asked Meowth, scratching his head.

James returned to his discarded sleeping bag and started rolling it up. "I have no idea. It sounds important though." Giovanni's words played in his head. What did he mean about Jessie's mother?

Jessie, on the pretence of tidying up the dishes, had quickly walked in to the kitchen area as soon as the call was terminated. She turned briefly to check if her team mates were paying any attention to her; James was hunched over his rucksack with his back to her and Meowth was polishing his charm. She quickly poured herself a small measure of James' rum and necked it, adding the empty glass to the dishes she was rinsing.

James had caught the end of it, and tilted his head, brow furrowed in concern. _'Something must be bothering her…'_ he assumed, and again his thoughts focussed on what Giovanni could have meant. Standing, he made his way over to her.

"You ok?" he asked, leaning against the kitchen counter.

Jessie smiled up at her team mate. "I'm fine."

James could tell her smile was fake. "Jessie, if you ever need someone to confide in..."

"Honestly, I'm fine James." Jessie interrupted.

"Ok." He wouldn't push the issue if she didn't want to talk about it. James gave her shoulder a small squeeze, retrieved his liquor and returned to packing away his things, glancing up at her back occasionally. He hoped one day she would be able to open up to him, although he knew it was still early days. His mind suddenly jolted back to Jessie seeing his scars and him explaining that he couldn't talk about it. _'I guess we both have our secrets…'_ he mused darkly.

Jessie finished washing the last of the dishes and took a big breath, plastering on a confident façade. She strode across the room, grabbing her jacket and slipping it on. "Come on you two, we need to move. Let's go!" she ordered. The three Rockets glanced around the cabin, a final check for any forgotten belongings. They hoisted their rucksacks on to their shoulders, and stepped out in to the crisp autumn morning.

xXx

A short while later, Jessie, James and Meowth reached the designated drop off point deep within Viridian Forest. They were met by two grunts, stood between two black jeeps.

One of the grunts walked towards them as they arrived. "Jessie and James?" she questioned.

"And Meowth!" the scratch-cat added, folding his arms in annoyance at being left out.

The grunt took a step back. "You can talk?" she asked, shocked.

Meowth grinned and puffed out his chest, as Jessie murmured to James "it's getting him to shut up that's the problem."

"Hey! I hoird that!"

The grunt blinked a few times, then composed herself. "Here's your new briefing." She handed a sealed package to Jessie, who took it and examined it with interest.

James handed over the bag containing the Pokéballs, cash and stones as the other grunt walked over to the group. He handed James a set of car keys.

"What are these for?" James asked, puzzled.

"Um, the car, idiot." the male grunt sneered, causing James to flush with anger.

"There's no need to be rude!" James exclaimed, raising his voice as the grunt walked back towards one of the cars.

"It's ok, you've still got your looks." the female grunt teased, throwing James a wink before falling in to step with her partner.

Meowth burst in to hysterics as James turned even redder. Jessie felt a knot in the pit of her stomach, and she glared at the back of the female grunt's head. Jessie knew what jealousy felt like, however there was absolutely _no way_ that it was jealously she was feeling. _'It's just because she insulted my team mate.'_ she dismissed. _'I'M the only one who gets to insult my team mates!'_

Meowth dried his eyes as the two grunts sped off in one of the jeeps. "You shudda seen your face!" he chuckled, trying to catch his breath.

James stormed towards the remaining car. "It's not funny!" he shouted, flinging open the back door and throwing his rucksack in to it before getting in to the driver's seat.

Jessie followed suit, opening the back door and allowing Meowth to jump in before setting her bag on the back seat. "Can you drive?" she asked as she climbed in to the passenger seat.

James ran his fingers through his hair, taking a deep breath and pushing his annoyance aside. "Technically, yes. Legally, no." He turned to Jessie and grinned.

Jessie laughed. "I suppose we should find out what the boss has in store for us." She had been itching to open the package since it was first handed to her, and she ripped it open with enthusiasm. Meowth clambered up between the seats to get a better view.

Jessie picked up an envelope and opened it, and removed a small card. "Oooh, fake ID's. I'm Amanda Collins! Ugh, they've made me _blonde_?" she showed her ID card to her team mates.

James reached over and retrieved the other card from the envelope. "And I'm David Green." He studied the card, remembering the day all of the new recruits had their photographs taken in various wigs and disguises, and now understanding why. He threw the card back in to the envelope. "What else is in there?" he asked.

Jessie lifted out another thicker envelope and tore it open. "Ker-CHING!" she cried gleefully as she pulled out a wad of cash.

"Ha haa! We're in da money!" Meowth's eyes shone at the sight of it.

James lifted a small package from the box as Jessie and Meowth giggled with delight as they counted the money. He opened it to reveal two wigs, a pair of glasses and a few other smaller accessories he couldn't quite make out at the bottom of the package. Setting it aside, he grasped the mission folder from the bottom of the box and slid it out from under the various envelopes on top. Settling back in to his seat, he leafed through it, ignoring their fake personal information at the start and going straight for the mission details.

"Oooh, we're infiltrating a newspaper. The Kanto Times, actually." James whistled in awe. "That's Kanto's biggest selling newspaper. I wonder what information they could have that the boss is so worried about?"

His question fell on deaf ears, his team mates too busy arguing about how to spend the money. Rolling his eyes, he scanned through the documents. "It says here that money is to be used for respectable clothing, and food and such like."

"You mean…" Jessie's eyes lit up with stars as she turned to face James, clutching a fistful of notes. "You mean I get to go _clothes_ _shopping_ with this?" She emitted a shriek of joy that caused Meowth to wince.

"The headquarters are located in Saffron City, so there'll be plenty of suitable department stores and boutiques." James advised, still leafing through the folder. "We have rooms booked and paid for in a hotel, we can check in any time today."

"Well whadda we waitin' for?" cried Meowth, thoughts of a nice hotel room with a huge tv and room service filling him with delight. "Let's go!"

"Right!" both Jessie and James said unison, and they grinned at each other. Jessie stashed the box in the back as James adjusted his seat, and he started the car, ready to begin their next big adventure.

xXx

The trio cruised through the country roads, whizzing past green hues of fields and forests. Despite the chilly autumn morning, the sky was clear and the sun shone down on them, making the day seem much more summery from inside the confines of the jeep. James had decided to circumnavigate Celadon, not knowing if the police were looking for them and not wanting to take the risk. And with the glorious sunshine and beautiful scenery, he was glad he did. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel in time to the radio, enjoying the encompassing feeling of bliss that was sweeping through his body and soul. Glancing in the rear view mirror, he saw Meowth curled up in the sunshine against the rear window. His eyes flickered over to Jessie, who had snuggled down in her seat, her head lolling away from him against her seatbelt. James smiled and focussed back on the road, humming along to the radio, unaware that Jessie was experiencing a far from peaceful sleep.

 _Jessie struck a pose for what seemed like the hundredth time, smiling brilliantly as the camera flashed repeatedly. She had to admit, she loved being a model. The glamour, the outfits, the admiration… she adored every aspect. 'When you look as good as I do, why not get paid for it?' she smirked to herself as she smoothed down her long elegant black dress and struck another pose._

 _"Ok, Jessie, turn your head slightly more towards me." the photographer requested. "That's it, now show us that dazzling smile of yours!"_

 _As the camera flashed, she saw her boyfriend Adam enter the studio behind the photographer, and her smile widened._

 _"Perfect, Jessie. Just perfect." cried the photographer, as he clicked the camera enthusiastically. "Ok, I think we're done here." He walked over and grasped Jessie by the hands. "You were wonderful as always." he gushed._

 _Jessie laughed. "Thank you, you're so kind!" she said modestly, although inside was thinking 'you're damn right I'm wonderful!'_

 _An arm slipped round her waist. "You look beautiful." Adam whispered in to her ear._

 _Jessie responded by leaning up and giving him a quick kiss. "I'm just going to get changed, and then I'm ready to go."_

 _Adam's eyes feasted hungrily on her figure, the dress highlighting her every curve. "Awww, do you have to?" he pouted._

 _Jessie lightly smacked him in the arm and laughed as she walked away, making sure to sway her hips just right, knowing his eyes were still on her._

 _xXx_

 _Jessie and Adam returned to Adam's apartment later that evening, after stopping off at a bar for a few drinks on the way home. Jessie entered the bedroom and quickly changed in to something she knew would drive Adam wild. She had only been modelling for a couple of months, and had met Adam shortly after. Jessie smiled as she remembered the cute blonde-haired stranger telling her how beautiful she was and that she should be a model, and his face when she revealed she already was. They had hit it off instantly, and she was glad she had finally found someone who treated her the way she deserved to be treated after her previous disastrous relationships._

 _Adam entered the bedroom, and stopped in his tracks, eyes and mouth wide open at the sight of Jessie in the skimpy deep blue negligée and matching g-string._

 _"Wow," he purred, as Jessie sat on the bed and crossed her long legs, looking up at him seductively. "You're so beautiful."_

 _Jessie smirked, enjoying the attention. She ran her fingers slowly down her body, watching Adam's eyes follow their path. Adam approached Jessie and leant over her, kissing her deeply._

 _"You should be a model." he murmured against her lips, intentionally referencing his cheesy chat up line._

 _Jessie giggled. "Mmmmm, maybe I should!" she replied._

 _"Actually…" Adam pulled away with a mischievous grin on his face, "Maybe you could do some modelling now… just for me?"_

 _Jessie scooted back on the bed and lay on her side. "Like this?" she laughed as she posed._

 _Her laughter faded as Adam retrieved something from his pocket, and she raised an eyebrow. "Is that a camera?!"_

 _Adam grinned. "I just thought we could have some fun! The pictures would be just between you and me. I promise. I hate that we don't see each other that often, with me having to work so much. I just figured you could help me with a little something to keep me warm at night." he winked._

 _Jessie mulled it over, coming to the conclusion that it might be a bit of fun. "Ok," she grinned, "but just a few."_

 _Adam kissed her on the forehead. "You're so stunning." he said, gazing in to her eyes and making Jessie blush._

 _"Damn right I am!" she retorted, pushing him away. "Now let's do this!" she laughed as she struck a pose._

 _Any reservations Jessie had soon disappeared as she continued to model for Adam, the two giggling and joking as they tried different poses and camera angles. Jessie supposed the few drinks they had earlier also added to her confidence._

 _"How do they look?" Jessie asked as Adam reviewed the last couple of images._

 _"Amazing. You're incredible, Jessie." he smiled at her as he walked over to the bed, flicking through the pictures for her to see. "Although," he had a devious glint in his eye as he lightly grasped the ribbon between her breasts holding the negligée fastened. "I think we could get some better shots." He gently pulled the ribbon as he kissed her, and Jessie felt the light fabric detach, exposing her breasts._

 _Jessie broke away and wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "I don't know, Adam."_

 _"Jessie, you're so gorgeous. So incredibly beautiful." He kissed her again. "Show me how beautiful you can be." The way he stared in to her eyes weakened Jessie's resolve. She adored the way he constantly complimented her looks._

 _Taking a deep breath, she nodded in agreement. "Ok."_

 _xXx_

 _A few weeks later, Jessie heard a knock at the door of the cheap flat she was renting. Puzzled, Jessie wondered who it could be as she walked over to the front hallway. Adam was working, and she didn't know anyone else in this town. The visitor knocked again more urgently as Jessie reached the door._

 _"Who is it?" Jessie cautiously called. Her meagre earnings meant she could only afford a place in the rougher part of town._

 _"I'm looking for Jessie." A woman's voice called._

 _Jessie kept the chain on and opened the door, peering out through the crack. "I'm Jessie. Can I help you?"_

 _A pretty girl with deep purple hair stood before her. "I'm really sorry to bother you. I have some information you might want to know. It's about your boyfriend."_

 _Jessie quickly removed the chain and opened the door fully. "Adam? Is he ok?" she asked worriedly._

 _The girl gave a small laugh, although she didn't look like she found it funny. "'Adam'? That's what he told you?"_

 _A frown crossed Jessie's features. "I'm sorry. Who are you?"_

 _The girl nervously looked around her. "His name isn't Adam."_

 _"What?" Jessie asked in disbelief._

 _"I'm Claire. I'm his girlfriend. And so are you. And before you lay in to me, that isn't the worst part. Now can I please come in and explain?" she begged frantically as she pushed her way in to the flat._

 _Jessie felt like she'd been slapped. She closed the door behind her and followed the purple-haired girl in to the living area._

 _"What are you talking about?" Jessie asked in a small voice._

 _"How long have you been modelling for him?" Claire demanded._

 _"What? What do you mean?" Jessie could barely think straight. He was cheating on her?_

 _Claire strode over and shoved a photograph under Jessie's nose. "This is what I mean!"_

 _Jessie gasped as she recognised herself in all her glory. "Where did you get this?" she asked, her voice shaking with rage and humiliation. She glared up at the girl in front of her, and was surprised to see tears in her eyes._

 _"How long have you been modelling for him?" Claire repeated her earlier question._

 _"Um, a couple of weeks. We've been together for about four months."_

 _"I've been with him a year. Although I know him as Robert." Claire sank on to the worn sofa as she continued. "I started to suspect he was cheating on me, so I went through his stuff and I found this in his apartment." She gestured towards the photograph in Jessie's hand. "I'm really sorry to be the one to break this to you." She looked up at Jessie, and Jessie could tell she was being sincere._

 _"That bastard." Jessie yelled as she crumpled the photo in anger._

 _Claire buried her face in her hands. "That's not all," she cried, "I did some digging. There's more of us. He preys on new inexperienced models. I don't know how many girls he has for sure." Claire took a deep breath. "You're the third one I've spoken to."_

 _Jessie sank down on to the armchair facing Claire. She felt like her world had just imploded._

 _"Jessie," Claire said from across the coffee table, "this next bit isn't going to be easy to hear."_

 _"How can this possibly get any worse?" Jessie shouted, her fists clenched so tight her nails dug painfully in to her hands._

 _A couple of tears fell from Claire's eyes. "He persuades girls to do these photographs for him. And then, he sells them."_

 _"WHAT?" Jessie leapt to her feet, hands covering her mouth._

 _"Our Rob has quite the lucrative business." Claire added dismally._

 _Jessie's head spun. She couldn't think. All she knew was the anger surging through her body. "I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!" she roared, grabbing that morning's empty coffee mug from the table and hurling it at the wall._

 _"Jessie, please!" Claire stood and grabbed Jessie by the hands. "Don't do anything stupid. The people he deals with, they're not good people. They're dangerous. That's why I'm telling you instead of going to the police. Just leave him. Just pack up your things and go!" she pleaded._

 _Jessie wrenched her hands from Claire's grasp. "He needs to pay! This can't be happening!"_

 _"I'm sorry. I really am." Claire insisted as she moved towards the door, wiping her cheeks. "I need to go. There are others I need to see."_

 _Jessie didn't reply. She covered her face in her hands and sank back on to the chair. "This can't be happening." she whispered to herself, clawing at her hair. She didn't even notice when the front door slammed behind Claire as she left._

 _Jessie had never felt so dirty in all her life. The thought of other men seeing her like that made her want to vomit. She had finally found a decent guy, a guy who she trusted, and he betrayed her._

 _"YOU BASTARD!" Jessie yelled to no-one, tears of anger flowing over her cheeks._

 _xXx_

 _Jessie exited the taxi and barged through the building's front door, and ran up the stairs to Adam's apartment. She banged on his door, rage coursing through her veins. The door opened and Adam greeted her with a smile. "Jessie, I wasn't expecting to see you today! Listen, now isn't a good time, can we meet…"_

 _Jessie slapped him. Hard._

 _Adam calmly stepped out in to the stairwell and closed the door behind him._

 _"How could you?" Jessie spat, eyes narrowed and breathing heavily._

 _Suddenly he grabbed her by the throat and slammed her in to the wall. Her head smashed against the bricks and she cried out in pain. He grabbed her roughly by the chin and forced her to look at him, and he leant in close to her._

 _"You have no idea who you're dealing with." he said in a low voice, his mouth inches from her, and she could feel his breath on her cheek. It made her skin crawl. The friendly face she had come to know had been replaced by one that frightened her, she didn't recognise the man in front of her. "You're nothing to me. You were just a fuck and an easy way to make money. And I made so much money from you, Jessie." He caressed her face with the hand not currently being used to hold her, and she shuddered. "You've no idea what guys will pay to see a slut like you."_

 _"Go to hell." she managed to get out despite his fingers holding her jaw._

 _Adam looked away and smiled briefly, then slammed her head in to the wall again before spinning her round and throwing her roughly down the small flight of stairs. Jessie cried out as she landed painfully at the bottom, her head smashing off the floor. Dazed, she sat up, trying to get her bearings, and to her horror Adam was approaching her._

 _"No" she moaned, still disorientated and trying to scramble to her feet._

 _Adam grabbed her by the hair and leant in close again. "You're lucky I have clients over at the moment. But if I ever see you around here again, I will ruin that pretty little face of yours." He yanked her hair viciously so her neck was twisted at a weird angle. "Do you understand?"_

 _"Yes" she whispered, wishing she had listened to Claire. She fell awkwardly to the ground as he released his hold on her, and he straightened his shirt and walked calmly back to his apartment, leaving Jessie battered and shaking against the wall._

James drove through a small village, marvelling at the quaint little houses. It wouldn't be long until they arrived in Saffron City. He hummed along to the ending of the song on the radio, and his eyes lit up as the next tune started playing. Grinning, he turned up the radio and sang along.

Jessie woke up with a start, the fragments of her dream still painfully running through her head. She was thankful she had fallen asleep facing away from James. All the anger and humiliation and fear she had felt back then coursed through her body, and she squeezed her eyes shut, hoping to block the feelings out.

"Oh please say to me," James drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, "you'll let me be your man, and please say to me, you'll let me hold your hand…" James belted out, "now let me hold your hand, I want to hold your hand…"

' _Wait… Is he singing?'_ thought Jessie, as she became more aware of her surroundings.

"And when I touch you I feel happy inside, it's such a feelin' that my love, I can't hide, I can't hide, I can't hide…" James warbled as Jessie stirred and looked round at him.

James, realising his partner was awake, glanced over at her. "Good morning! Hey, are you ok Jess?" He turned off the radio and gave her his full attention.

"What? Yes. I just had a bad dream, that's all." she admitted, rubbing her eyes, visions of her nightmare still lingering stubbornly behind her eyelids. Another wave of anger and humiliation washed over her and she inhaled sharply, dropping her hands to her sides and clenching the fist furthest away from James, out of his sight.

"Would you like to talk about it?" James offered, concerned for his friend.

Jessie stared out of the passenger side window as she tried to compose herself. "No, I'm good. It was just a dream." _'…or a memory would be more accurate.'_ she thought darkly.

James reached over and grasped her hand, causing Jessie to look round in surprise. "I have nightmares too sometimes." James admitted. "And nightmares can be terrifying and can cause so much anguish. But you're awake now," he rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, "you're safe Jess." He smiled over at her.

Jessie squeezed his hand in gratitude, smiling at his attempts to comfort her. "I'm ok. Honestly." She didn't feel ok, but she wasn't going to let him know that.

James released her hand and focussed back on the road, they were now driving through the outskirts of the city and he needed to get his bearings. "We'll be there shortly. Not long until we can get a nice shower followed by some retail therapy."

"Mmmmmm," Jessie hummed in response. "That sounds good." She leaned over and switched on the radio, grateful for the distraction as they navigated their way through the city, both lost in thoughts of a hot shower and spending some of that money, and wondering what their next assignment could have in store for them.


	9. Chapter 9 - Heart Songs

**Hi everyone! Again, apologies for the delay, in an ideal world I'd be able to work on this all day every day instead of going to work, but until writing fanfiction pays the bills I guess I'm stuck doing what I can when I can. But, a big thank you from the depths of my rocketshippy heart for your patience, and for the follows, faves and of course those sweet sweet reviews.**

 **Just before we begin, a quick note on ages. A recent review asked about it so I figured I'd let you all know how it is in my head. As you know, people don't seem to age in Pokemon. But, going by the canon (yes, it's canon!) that Jessie and James were 25 at the start of the 2nd movie, which was approx 2 years after the anime started, I interpreted this to mean they were 23 when they met Ash and Pikachu. I figured they had joined TR 2 years before that, so they were 21 when they met again.**

 **They spent 5 years apart, meaning they last saw each other in the bike gang when they were 16. I reckon they were only in the bike gang for a year. Pokemon Tech (in my mind) is kind of like high school, so for ages 11-16. I think they flunked out at 15 during the end of year exams.**

 **James ran away from home at 10/11 ish, which is why his parents only had a picture of him as a child to use for the missing poster in Holy Matrimony. He joined Pokemon Tech aged 11, but Jessie didn't start until later.**

 **I had originally planned it that Jessie left fostercare and spent a year on the streets aged 11-12, then had her stint in nursing school from 12-13. She then spent another year on the streets until she joined Pokemon Tech at 14. BUT, when I wrote the flashback where she met James at tech, it didn't** ** _quite_** **work out like that. The muse gets what the muse wants, amirite? So they came out slightly younger than I had originally intended. TL;DR, I'm not sure how old they were when they first met. But apart from that, hopefully that'll give you a rough guide to how old they both are in the various flashbacks and in the main story.**

 **Anyway, on with the show!**

Chapter 9 – Heart Songs

James drummed his fingers on the arm of the soft leather chair as he waited for his team mate. They had agreed to meet in the hotel lobby at midday, giving them both adequate time to shower and change first. James glanced at his watch, which showed it was twenty past.

"What's da hold up?" complained Meowth from the neighbouring armchair, his paws resting on his belly which let out a loud rumble. "I'm wastin' away to nuddin' here!" he cried dramatically.

"I'm sure she won't be too much longer." James assured him, trying to ignore his own hunger pangs. He was usually a patient man but the hunger coupled with the lack of sleep meant his patience was beginning to wear thin, though he tried to hide it.

As if on cue, the elevator doors opened and Jessie stepped out in to the lobby, her eyes scanning the room for her team mates. Spotting them, she strode over, her long navy skirt sweeping behind her as she walked. James' mood instantly brightened the moment he laid eyes on her, and smiling he courteously stood as she approached.

"What time d'ya call dis?" grumbled Meowth.

Jessie ignored him. "Let's go," she said, gesturing towards the door, "I don't know about you guys but I'm starving!"

Meowth glared daggers at the back of Jessie's head and muttered under his breath as the trio made their way past the reception desk towards the entrance, James darting in front to hold open the door for his team mates, and they stepped out in the busy streets of Saffron City.

xXx

A short while later found the Rockets sat round a table in the window of a cosy café, empty plates in front of them and satisfied smiles on their lips.

Jessie raised her eyebrows in astonishment as Meowth reached for the dessert menu. "You seriously can't still be hungry?!" She glanced over at James, who was staring out of the window and didn't appear to be paying any attention.

Meowth cast his eyes over the mouth-watering dishes. "What? I'm just lookin'!"

"I thought cats were supposed to have nine lives, not nine stomachs." Jessie taunted, folding her arms and leaning back in her chair.

"It says here dey got over thoirty different flavours of ice cream!" the scratch-cat exclaimed, licking his lips.

"Really? Gimme that." Jessie wrenched the menu out of his paws and held it out of his reach, reading through the flavours as Meowth tried in vain to snatch it back.

James was completely unaware of the commotion around him, lost in his own thoughts as he stared in to the window of the music shop across the street.

 _The night was still, the only sounds were the rustling of rattata as they scavenged for food, the occasional screech from a zubat, and the soft clink of plastic and metal as a teenage boy quietly placed various items in to an old abandoned supermarket trolley. A clatter behind him made James jump and he whirled around, heart in his chest, exhaling in relief as his flashlight caught a rattata sitting on an old toaster. It stared at him curiously with its head tilted, sniffing the air. James reached in to his bag and retrieved a packet of biscuits, and sat cross-legged on the ground._

 _"Are you hungry?" he asked the pokémon as he crumbled one of the biscuits, scattering the pieces in front of him._

 _The rattata's nose twitched hungrily, although it remained at a safe distance from the unknown human._

 _"I'm not going to hurt you," James added, "it's ok. You can trust me."_

 _The rattata took a few tentative steps towards James, watching him as he moved slowly forwards. James waited patiently, not wanting to rush the pokémon. He knew he wouldn't have to wait long. Pokémon seemed to be drawn to him. He first became aware of it at Nanny and Pop-pop's; the pokémon there would flock to him whenever he visited. He had been grateful for this gift ever since he left the bike gang. Being alone and homeless wasn't quite so bad when you had wild pokémon for company._

 _Eventually the rattata reached James and sat on its hind legs, clutching a large chunk of biscuit and happily nibbling on it. James smiled and took a biscuit from the packet for himself, munching on it and enjoying watching the rattata polish off the rest of the crumbs. He took a third biscuit and broke it in to pieces, setting them down in front of the pokémon._

 _"I'm afraid I can't give you any more," James said as he put the packet back in his bag, "this is the only food I have and it has to last a while longer."_

 _The rattata tilted its head as James spoke, observing him with its bright eyes._

 _"If I earn a satisfactory amount from tonight's goods," he motioned towards the trolley, "I promise I'll return with more. You have my word." James extended his hand and paused, letting the pokémon sniff him before scratching it behind the ear. A smile twitched at the corner of his mouth as he pictured the scene; a grubby teenager sitting in a garbage tip in the middle of the night petting a wild rattata. He doubted his own mother would even recognise him._

 _James stood, dusting off his trousers and shining the flashlight around, hoping to locate any final potential treasures before he called it a night. A familiar pattern of black and white caught his eye. Holding the flashlight between his teeth, he grasped the large keyboard and pulled it out from underneath the mass of black bags and broken equipment, checking it over for any obvious signs of damage beyond repair. Grinning, he placed it in to the shopping trolley and wheeled it through the gate, which groaned as he closed it behind him. James was thankful that the tip was on the outskirts of town, away from anyone who might hear him. He secured the padlock he had picked on his way in, and he made his way to the small warehouse he was currently calling home._

 _xXx_

 _The bell tinkled as James pushed open the door, alerting the owner to his presence. An aging man with silver hair and matching bushy moustache and a kind face exited the back room and stood proudly behind the counter, beaming at James as he approached him._

 _"Good morning, how may I help you today?"_

 _"Good morning sir," James replied as he set the cleaned up keyboard on the counter. "I was clearing out the attic and came across my old keyboard, unfortunately I was unable to find the power cable so I'm unsure if it is still in working order. Would you happen to have one for this model, or be able to point me in the direction of someone who could assist?"_

 _"Let's take a look, shall we?" The shopkeeper picked up the keyboard and examined it. "I have a box of old cables lying around somewhere, I'm bound to have something that would work. I'm reluctant to throw anything away, you never know when something will come in useful, that's what I always say!" His deep, booming laugh reverberated through the shop, and James found himself taking a liking to the man. He set the keyboard back on the counter and shuffled in to the back room._

 _James scanned the music shop as he waited. Various stringed and wind instruments hung on the wall to his left, and the wall to his right was filled with shelves of songbooks. James walked idly through the shop, meandering through several keyboards perched on stands, absentmindedly running his fingers over the keys as he made his way towards the magnificent drum kit displayed in the window. If only his parents had let him learn the drums when he was a child! He laughed out loud at the thought, shaking his head softly as he flicked one of the cymbals._

 _"Boy? Hey boy!"_

 _James jumped at the sound of his voice, and he quickly silenced the cymbal, assuming that he wasn't allowed to touch it._

 _"Would you give an old man a hand, boy?" the shopkeeper called from the back room._

 _"Yes sir, of course." James called as he quickly jogged towards the counter, nipping behind it and darting through the doorway. The shopkeeper was precariously balanced at the top of a set of ladders, straining to reach a box from the depths of the top shelf. As James approached, the shopkeeper's fingers managed to grasp the sides and slide it towards him, and the ladders wobbled alarmingly._

 _"Sir, allow me!" James exclaimed, terrified that the old man would fall. Spying a kick-stool near the door, James pushed it over and quickly stepped up, his growth-spurt a few years earlier allowing him to reach the box with ease. As he brought it down, the disturbed thin layer of dust clouded around his head causing him to cough and splutter. Eyes watering, James moved through the doorway and set the box on to the counter, the old man following behind him and praising thanks as he did._

 _"Now, let's see what we have here, shall we?" the shopkeeper mumbled as he rummaged through the box of leads, inspecting the connection ends as James let out a barrage of coughs._

 _"Please excuse me," James apologised in a raspy voice, wiping his streaming eyes with the back of his hand._

 _"A-HA!" The shopkeeper pulled out a lead and hooked it up. The power light flickered then glowed brightly, and the shopkeeper beamed happily as he pressed a key at random._

 _James smiled in relief. Despite being thrown out it was in pretty good condition and was quite big, meaning he'd probably get a decent sum of money for selling it on. "Thank you ever so much for your help," James grinned at the shopkeeper. "Would I be able to purchase that lead from you?" He didn't have much money, just a handful of coins in his pocket which he dug out and began to count._

 _The shopkeeper laughed in response, shaking his head. "My dear boy, you can have it!"_

 _James looked up in astonishment. "No, please, let me…"_

 _"I insist!" the old man interrupted. "Now put that away!"_

 _Sliding the coins back in to his pocket, James smiled in gratitude. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."_

 _The shopkeeper pushed the keyboard towards James. "There you go, why not give it a whirl!"_

 _James rubbed the back of his neck and stepped back. "Oh no, I couldn't," he laughed nervously, "I haven't played since I was a child." His palms began to sweat, and he hoped the old man didn't notice his discomfort._

 _Turning the keyboard round to face him, the shopkeeper appeared deep in thought for a moment with his hands poised over the keys, and then began to play. James' jaw dropped in shock as his fingers flew over the keys, hitting what seemed like hundreds of notes in seconds. His eyes could barely keep up as he watched in awe, every single note played with such precision and such… passion. The melody was like nothing James had ever heard before and he found himself mesmerised by both the music and watching the old man play._

 _"What… what WAS that?" James gushed in amazement as the shopkeeper brought his song to a close._

 _"Why, that was jazz, my boy. Don't tell me you've never heard of jazz?" This time it was the shopkeeper's turn to be astonished._

 _James shook his head. "I learned classical when I was younger. But I… I didn't really enjoy it, to tell you the truth." James lowered his eyes. It was sort of the truth! He certainly didn't enjoy it after she… James suppressed a shudder and banished the thought from his mind, forcing his eyes to meet the shopkeepers and smiling. "But no, I've never heard anything like that before. It was marvellous!"_

 _The old man chuckled, causing his bushy moustache to shake. He walked to the corner of the counter and fumbled with a small CD player, pressing play and turning up the volume. "Let's see what you think of this one." he grinned._

 _James couldn't help but smile as the song sounded through the shop, some unknown guy singing about balls of fire._

 _"There's so much more to piano than classical." the shopkeeper said as he made his way from behind the counter and patted James on the back, grinning up at the tall teenager and guiding him towards the masses of music books. "Let me show you."_

 _xXx_

 _The sun was high in the sky by the time James left the little music shop. With him he carried his keyboard and lead, a couple of CD's and a handful of music books by bands and musicians he'd never heard of stashed under his arm, and the instruction to return the next morning to commence his new job. The shopkeeper, Maurice, had admitted he couldn't afford much in the way of wages but that James could borrow any CD's or books to make up for the meagre pay. But James was ecstatic to have a job! To no longer have to solely rely on digging through trash! James beamed as he walked through the streets of the town, the warm sun on his face and feeling happier than he had in a long time. Passing a small supermarket, James paused before nipping in to buy a packet of biscuits, and keep a promise he'd made the night before._

"JAMES!" Jessie thwacked James on the head with the dessert menu, causing James to snap out of his daydream. "Will" _*thwack*_ "you" _*thwack*_ "pay" _*thwack*_ "ATTENTION!"

James covered his head with his arms as he tried to protect himself. "Ow! What?"

Jessie laid down the menu on the table in front of him and smiled sweetly. "Do you want any dessert?"

xXx

Jessie burst through the door of her hotel room and kicked off her shoes and sprawled dramatically on her bed, utterly exhausted from the hard day's shopping. Letting out a sigh, she grabbed the remote from the bedside table and switched on the tv, flicking past boring news reports and soaps and finally settling on a gameshow. Tucking her arms behind her head, she focussed on the tv, only vaguely aware of the slow shuffling and panting approaching from the corridor outside her open door.

James heaved himself through the doorway with a groan, multiple bags hooked over each arm and carrying so many boxes he could barely see over the top. "Where would you like these?" he asked, muffled behind the packages.

"In the corner." Jessie gestured without averting her eyes from the screen.

 _'Of course, the farthest corner of the room, why am I not surprised'_ James whined to himself as he stumbled forwards, carefully crouching to set them down in the corner without them (or him) toppling over. Managing to dismantle himself from the day's purchases, he stood and rubbed his aching forearms, wincing at the purple grooves across his skin from the multiple bag handles. James glanced up at Jessie. She was still focussed on the tv but he could tell her eyes were starting to glaze over with tiredness; the brilliant sapphire not shining quite as bright as it did during their retail therapy. He glanced at his watch, revealing it was shortly after half six. He was surprised they'd lasted this long, considering the previous night's mission followed by only a couple of hours sleep that morning. James plodded towards the door, intending to head back to the room he was sharing with Meowth.

"Where you going?" Jessie mumbled, stifling a yawn.

James paused at the doorway. "Unfortunately last night's mission report isn't going to write itself." As tired as he was, he knew he'd feel much better if he got it out of the way, leaving the rest of the evening to relax. "Would you like to approve it once I'm done?" he enquired, turning to face his partner.

Jessie waved her hand. "No, I'm sure you'll do…" she let out a loud yawn before continuing, "do a good job. Oh, and James?" she added as her team mate turned to leave. "Don't forget your shopping!"

James walked back over to the mound of shopping, searching through them and removing two smaller bags containing his new shirts, ties and trousers. Reaching the door again, he turned to Jessie one last time. "See you in the morning?"

"See you tomorrow," she replied, her gaze already back on the tv. Her eyes flickered to the door as she heard it close and she sighed, glad to finally have some alone time. With the exception of a quick shower and change after they checked in to the hotel that morning, Jessie and James, and more often than not, Meowth, had been together constantly since they became partners.

Reluctantly Jessie sat up and made her way to the wardrobe, where she retrieved her pyjamas. As much as her body ached for a nice long soak in the bath with a glass of wine, falling asleep and drowning was something which she did not want to risk. Changing in to her pj's, she opened the mini-bar. _'I can at least have the wine.'_ she grinned to herself, spying a couple of small bottles and inspecting them, selecting one and pouring it in to a tumbler. Fluffing the pillows and leaning back against them, Jessie sipped her wine and tried to focus back on the gameshow.

It was hard for Jessie to wrap her head around the fact they only became official agents two days ago. So much had happened. They already had one successful mission under their belt and were about to embark on their second. They'd been on the go since completing their training and with very little sleep, Jessie was grateful they had two days to relax in the hotel before starting their new 'jobs' on Monday. _'It'll be weird working a normal job'_ she mused to herself as she sipped her wine, _'doing the old nine to five thing, even though we're undercover.'_ Not that she was worried about playing the part. Jessie was looking forward to it. _'I am an amazingly talented actress, after all!'_ she smirked.

Jessie wondered how James would fare. He had always been the quiet type when they were younger. What if his acting skills weren't up to scratch? What if he lacked the confidence to pull this off? Jessie pursed her lips as she thought about it, making a mental note to discuss it with him the next day. After all the losers she'd been saddled with during training, after being constantly let down, she wasn't going to take any chances.

Although… he _did_ seem to be much more confident these days. After getting over the initial shock of how much he'd physically matured, she had begun to notice the ways he'd mentally and emotionally matured. He was still the same James she knew back then in a lot of respects; kind, caring, always putting others first, _'not qualities that are important for a Team Rocket agent though…'_ she mused. In truth, she found it almost hilarious that someone like _James_ had ended up working for Team Rocket. He still had so much… _goodness_ in him. The world hadn't hardened him the way it had done with her. Any time she had allowed herself to think about him over the years, she had assumed he would end up living a 'normal' life: boring job, house in the suburbs, he'd probably make an ideal boring husband for some plain sweet-as-pie girlfriend due to his kindness and generosity, and the fact he's so… so… _'hot?'_ her subconscious interjected, images of her walking in on him in just his boxers fleeting through her mind.

Jessie laughed out loud. Sure, he was good looking, but he wasn't exactly her type. _'Besides'_ , she thought as she took a larger-than-intended gulp of wine, _'this is JAMES we're talking about! I'm not interested in him and he certainly isn't interested in…'_ Jessie paused, frowning. She _had_ noticed furtive glances in her direction when he thought she wasn't looking. She'd even caught him staring at her a few times, and he'd quickly look away, a hint of pink to his cheeks. Though she told herself she was imagining things. But then there were the times they'd held each other's gaze. The _way_ he looked at her, with such intensity and still, after all these years, such admiration. _'OK, so what if he does like you? Could you blame him? Really? You're a goddess! Men have always fallen for your exquisite beauty, why should James be any different? He is a man, after all!'_ Jessie smirked to herself as she emptied the rest of the small bottle in to her glass. _'And anyway, what does it matter? Unless I find a handsome rich doctor to whisk me away, I swore off men for good!'_

Settling back in to her bed and taking a deep drink of her wine, she attempted to focus back on the tv, now showing a different gameshow from before. However it wasn't long before her subconscious had drifted from the tv back to her new partner. Though her eyes remained fixed on the screen, her mind was playing a different scene. A scene that she had dismissed from her thoughts multiple times since last night. James, pressed up against her in the Pokémon centre, every inch of their bodies crushed against each other. Jessie's pulse quickened at the thought. Only this time, there was no Chansey. There was just James staring down at her, emerald eyes searching the depths of her very soul, his aftershave intoxicating her senses, one hand slowly bringing her thigh up to rest on his hip, the other hand with his fingers tangled in her hair. The way he whispered her name made her heart sing and lit a fire in her belly, heat surging through her body.

"Ugh" Jessie shook her head clear of the images. She glared at the glass of wine. "This is your fault!" she growled as she set it on the bedside table, switched off the tv sending the room into darkness and flipped over on to her side, closing her eyes and trying to ignore her body's stupid reaction to her stupid daydream about stupid James.


	10. Chapter 10 - A Beautiful Lie

**Greetings, beautiful readers! It's been a while, I know, however as you've all been waiting so patiently, you get my longest chapter to date, so yay! As always, thanks for your continued support xx  
**

Chapter 10 – A Beautiful Lie

The droning sound of quick fingers on keys was momentarily silenced as James paused, running a hand through his hair and reading over the paragraph. His earlier plan of getting the report done first was harder than he'd anticipated, and he sighed, willing his tired brain in to gear. He cast a sideways glance at Meowth, who was stretched out on the bed asleep and muttering something about chilli cheese fries. James smiled before turning his attention back to his laptop, rubbing his eyes and taking a deep breath. There wasn't much more to do; another couple of paragraphs and he'd finally be able to lie back and unwind. The thought spurred him on as he began to type.

A familiar feeling of foolishness rose to the surface as James recalled the previous night's getaway. What had seemed like a great idea had ended up in disaster. James furrowed his brow in annoyance. _'Way to go James,'_ he berated himself, thinking back to the promise he'd made to himself in the mirror, _'so much for being the best partner she's ever had! What were you thinking?'_ James stopped typing and ran his fingers through his hair, and tutted in frustration at himself. His plan to show Jessie this new and improved side of him; this confident, courageous, smart and reliable team mate on whom she could depend, in his eyes, had failed miserably. James sighed. He wasn't a leader, by any stretch of the imagination. But he'd just wanted to… wanted to… _'what?'_ he questioned himself, _'What is it I want?'_ He leaned back in his chair and searched his tired brain for the answer. _'I want my best friend back…'_ he thought, repeating his words from the night they were reintroduced. Yet… he couldn't help the feeling that he was _missing_ something.

James frowned at the screen, knowing he wouldn't be able to concentrate until he'd figured this out. He pushed himself up from the desk and fished out his liquor from his rucksack, and poured a small measure in to one of the hotel tumblers, sinking on to the end of the bed opposite the window and taking a drink. The vibrant lights of Saffron City twinkling underneath the sheer brilliance of the full moon caught his eye, and he smiled. James much preferred being away from the hustle and bustle of a city, but he couldn't deny how pretty it looked from his tenth floor window. Taking another drink, he tried to focus back on his thoughts.

What _did_ he want? All he'd desired after their reunion was to get his best friend back. It was still early days, and there was still a long way to go, but the initial awkwardness that had hung over them seemed to have disappeared. James understood that they could never go back to the way things were; they had both transformed from children to adults during their time apart. But despite all the ways he knew he himself had grown, he still felt that deep down, he was still the same guy at heart. New and improved James, but still James. And she was still Jessie. Headstrong and impulsive. Passionate. Brave. Not afraid to stand up for herself or for others. People admired her, were enthralled by her. She was a natural born leader. _'More so than I'll ever be,'_ he grimaced at his foolish attempt at trying to lead, at trying to impress her.

 _'Was I trying to impress her?'_ He supposed he was in a sense. After her looking out for him so much when they were younger, he supposed he wanted to return the favour in addition to trying to be the best team mate she'd ever had. But as he stared in to his drink, he realised that even though they had both grown, despite the ways in which he had changed and in whatever ways she had changed, that despite whatever hardships or trials they had encountered during their time apart, the thing that drew them together when they were young was still true today. That his strengths and his faults, and her strengths and her faults, they complimented each other perfectly. And if he wanted this new partnership, this new… old… _friendship_ to work, then shouldn't he just be _himself_?

James took another drink and stared out of the window, watching a cloud glide slowly past the moon. He _had_ been himself, for the most part. And the two of them seemed to get on really well – it felt natural being together again. Sure, there were still unanswered questions, future discussions that one day would inevitably have to take place. And yes, he still carried with him the hurt that she had caused him all those years ago. But he'd promised himself he'd wait, knowing that it wasn't the right time for her. _'Ok, no more brilliant ideas,'_ he smirked to himself, _'let Jessie do the thinking from now on. Relax, enjoy getting to know her again, and just be yourself!'_ He almost laughed at his attempt at being someone he was not. The smile faded from James' lips. _'Especially when that was something I fought so hard against as a boy…'_

"Finished woikin' already, Jim?" Meowth stretched, tail in the air and front claws extended, and followed it up with a loud yawn.

"Mm? No, not quite. I was just taking a breather." James swished the contents of the tumbler round and round, staring deep in to the dark liquid. _'Why do I still feel like I'm missing something?'_

James was interrupted from thinking any more about it as he felt the bed sink to his right, Meowth now sitting next to him gazing up at the moon. James took a deep drink, scratching Meowth behind the ear as they looked up at the shining orb, though the back of his mind was still swimming in magenta hues.

"Ain't it beautiful?" the scratch-cat said in a wistful voice.

James silently nodded in agreement.

xXx

It was after lunch by the time the Rockets awoke, all three rejuvenated and fresh-faced after catching up on some much needed sleep. A knock at the door signalled Jessie's arrival, and James grinned at his partner as he let her in.

"Good morning," he chimed with a dramatic sweep of his arm, welcoming her in to the room. "Sleep well?"

"It's afternoon idiot." Jessie retorted with a smile, striding in and sinking in to the chair, crossing her long legs as James situated himself on the bed facing her. "And yes I did, thank you!"

"Heh, t'ink we desoived a lie in! Sooo, breakfast?" Meowth looked expectantly at his team mates.

James glanced at his watch. "I think we missed lunch. Though I do remember seeing a nice restaurant a few min…"

"Room service!" called out his partners in unison.

James laughed as he raised his hands in defeat. "OK OK! Room service it is! Here," he picked up the menu from his bedside table and handed it to Jessie.

Meowth clambered up on to the desk to read over Jessie's shoulder, almost drooling in anticipation as his eyes darted frantically over the options. "I'll take one of evrytin'!"

"Keep dreaming, furball!" chided Jessie as she handed the menu back to James. "Order us some breakfast stuff. Bacon and eggs and sausages and pancakes and croissants…"

"Hungry, are we?" James teased, scanning the menu. Although his stomach chose that precise moment to let out a loud rumble.

"Hungry, are we?" Jessie scoffed, raising her eyebrows at him and folding her arms triumphantly whilst Meowth cackled with laughter.

James rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I guess so!"

xXx

An hour later found the two humans with full bellies and satisfied smiles, whilst Meowth gleefully slurped down James' leftover eggs.

Reluctantly, Jessie willed herself in to work-mode. "Right, where's the package?"

James retrieved it from the bottom of the wardrobe and set it on the desk next to Jessie. Unfortunately there was only the one chair in the room or he would have sat at the desk with his team mate, instead resigning himself to quietly sitting cross-legged on the bed as Jessie flicked through the folder.

Eventually, Meowth let out a bored yawn. "Anyt'ing we can help with dere Jess?"

"Mm? Oh," she reached in to the box and flung a smaller package towards the bed where he was sat with James, "here. Go nuts."

Meowth emptied the contents on to the bed and began pawing through them, pausing to put the blonde bobbed wig on his head and turning to James. "How do I look Jimmy?"

"Gorgeous" came the reply as Meowth struck a pose. James picked up a long black wig and examined it, before making his way to the bathroom to put it on properly.

Meowth continued rummaging through the objects, inspecting each one as he held it up. "Jess, you got dose identity profiles dere?"

Jessie looked up to respond and burst out laughing. "Nice haircut. Suits you." she teased, walking over to the bed and plopping on to it. "Here," she removed the profiles from the folder and passed them to the scratch-cat, before fluffing the pillows against the headboard and leaning against them as she continued to leaf through the pages.

"What do you think?" came a voice from the bathroom door, and the two rockets looked up to find James sporting his new look; his black hair parted in the centre and came down to halfway down his back, and was pulled in to a loose ponytail at the base of his neck. A few stubborn stands that refused to stay tied framed his face nicely.

Meowth let out a whistle. "Lookin' good, Davey-boy! Here, dese are yours too." He threw a pair of thick-rimmed glasses and James caught them, stepping back in to the bathroom to put them on in front of the mirror, noting that the sleek black frames and his new hair colour complimented each other perfectly.

As he exited the bathroom a second time, Jessie's pulse quickened as she instantly noted how good he looked in glasses.

"Yeah, you look great." she replied hastily, forcing her eyes back on to the pages in front of her.

James couldn't help feeling a little crestfallen. "I thought I looked quite good. And these glasses make me look rather intelligent, wouldn't you agree?"

"Dat's a foist!" cackled Meowth.

James folded his arms defensively. "Well, you look like a smoochum in that wig!" he teased. "Hey Jess, got any lipstick with you for our little smoochum here?"

Jessie laughed as she rummaged in her bag. "Of course I do!"

"Oh hell no!" Meowth cried as he tore off the wig, jumping off the bed and backing up in to the wall, claws outstretched. "You ain't comin' near me wid dat!"

"Actually James," Jessie started as she continued to fish through her purse, "we're gonna have to do something about those eyebrows." She found what she was looking for and hoisted herself off the bed, grabbing the back of the chair and setting it in the middle of the room.

"What's wrong with my eyebrows?"

"They don't match your hair. It's a bit of a giveaway." she replied as she turned on the main light. "Now, sit!" James removed his glasses and did as he was told, and Jessie stood before him. "Tilt your head back slightly, that's it."

James obeyed, closing his eyes to the blinding light above him, and his breath caught in his throat as Jessie gently yet firmly grasped his chin, tilting his head back just a fraction more. With his eyes closed, his other senses went in to overdrive. He became acutely aware of the faint scent of strawberries he'd noticed a couple of times before. The way her skin felt as her hand rested on his cheek, as she applied something to one eyebrow. James felt one of her legs bump slightly against his as she shifted her position slightly, and feeling her breath on his face he could tell she had leaned in closer. A slight knock on his other leg caused his heart to hammer in his chest as he realised she was straddling him, and he licked his lips nervously as his skin prickled with electricity.

Jessie, satisfied that there were no signs of any tell-tale lavender showing, turned her attention to his other eyebrow. She cupped his right cheek and turned his head slightly to the left, amazed at how smooth his skin felt. As she reapplied the make up to the applicator, Jessie cast a look over his features. It was the first time since they'd been reunited that she'd had a chance to _really_ look at him, without fear of being caught staring. His skin was perfect. And with no skin-care routine, that she was aware of anyway! Any woman would be envious! He had also been blessed with perfect cheekbones, something she hadn't fully realised the extent of until she'd cupped his cheek, and a perfect jaw line too. She still found it amusing how her dorky gangly friend had matured in to someone who was both exceptionally handsome and _pretty_ – there was no other word for it.

Jessie continued to work, unaware of James' internal battle between body and mind. Every fibre of his being was willing him to grab her hips and pull her on to him, so strong was the urge that he gripped the edge of his seat, certain his fingers were turning white with the force. _'What is this? What's happening?'_ James' panicked mind demanded of his treacherous body, unsure what to make of these unfamiliar feelings.

"Much better." Jessie said as she finished the second eyebrow, and she cast her eyes over his face, noticing the pink tinge to his cheeks. _'Why is he blushing…?'_

James opened his eyes at her words to see her face directly above his own, the bright light behind her head creating a halo effect round her magenta mane. Their eyes locked, and James felt an unfamiliar twitch in his trousers. He gulped nervously, silently cursing himself as he felt his cheeks burn.

 _'…oh!'_ A laugh caught in Jessie's throat as it suddenly occurred to her she was straddling her partner. She'd been so caught up in the makeover and her thoughts that she hadn't realised their position. Taking a step back, Jessie noticed something else on James' face other than the blush; a look of pure fear. _'…maybe I was wrong, maybe he doesn't like me like that after all…'_ she thought, _'good, that would only make things awkward, I suppose.'_ Trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach, Jessie made her way over to the bed and put her makeup back in her purse.

Slowly releasing his death-grip on the seat, James excused himself and made his way towards the bathroom, under the pretence of admiring Jessie's handiwork in the mirror. He glared at his reflection. "This looks great, thanks Jessie!" he called in as normal a voice as he could muster. Flashing a smile that he hoped looked grateful at his partner, he closed the door behind him and sank down on to the cold tiles of the bathroom floor, pulling his wig and glasses off and sighing.

 _'I don't understand,'_ James thought, running his fingers through his hair. Yet somewhere in the depths of his mind, he felt like he _finally_ had all the pieces of this annoying puzzle, he just didn't know quite how to put them together.

James had heard the lads in the bike gang talk about sex and arousal and the like, and he understood the biology of it all. Yet even as a teenager James had never suffered the usual effects that seemed to plague the other boys his age. He had never experienced what it was to be 'horny', or to look at someone and get a 'boner'. Hell, he'd only experimented with pleasuring himself to see if he even _could_ , after worrying for so long why he didn't have the same needs as others. As he'd gotten older, and more comfortable with who he was, he accepted he just didn't have the same drive as others when it came to sex. Sex lead to relationships, and relationships lead to marriage. And there was no way in hell he was touching any of that with a ten foot pole. Especially when the last time, as unplanned as it was, had been such a disaster.

 _James wandered aimlessly through the streets of Pewter City, contemplating his next move. After a couple of years, Maurice had been forced to close the shop due to lack of business, and he had kindly provided James with a small sum of money to tide him over until he got back on his feet. James had tried to refuse, however the old man could be very insistent and James had learnt a long time ago there was no use arguing with him. With no reason to stay, James had decided to try his luck in a different city and jumped on the first bus he saw, a bus to Pewter._

 _Since his arrival, James had managed to secure a small room in a shared house, and had spent the days trawling the streets looking for any sort of work. After another day of finding nothing, and as the first drops of rain started to fall, the weather echoing his mood, James found himself in the outskirts of an unfamiliar city with no idea where he was. The rain started to lash down, and he swept his hair from his face, looking around. Across the street, singing and laughter drifted from the windows of a bar, and with nowhere else to go, James sighed in defeat and jogged across the road towards shelter._

 _"What can I get you?" the barman asked with a smile as James slid in to a seat._

 _"Good evening. Could I have a…" James suddenly realised he had no idea what to order. Casting his eyes over the various bottles behind the barman, hoping his face didn't betray his confusion, his mind skipped back to his childhood and an image of his father drinking a brandy in the study of an evening flew through his consciousness. "Could I have a brandy please?"_

 _"Any particular type?" asked the barman as he reached for a glass._

 _James shook his head as he removed his jacket, and he took in his surroundings as the barman poured his drink. It was a lot more upmarket than it had appeared from the outside, the laughter and singing wasn't coming from aging drunks as he had first assumed, rather it was coming from the small crowd seated around the piano across the room, as some catchy song he didn't recognise was played by a girl with an electric blue pixie cut._

 _The arrival of his drink brought James' attention back to the barman and he handed over a note. Swirling the liquid round the glass as he'd seen his father do so many times, he sighed and took a drink. It was all James could do not to screw his face up, the strong flavour making his eyes water, and he swallowed it, gasping as it burnt his throat. So much for trying to blend in._

 _"Not much of a drinker, eh?" chuckled the barman as he handed James his change._

 _James grimaced. "No, I guess I'm not."_

 _"So," smiled the barman as he slid a tray of glasses in to the dishwasher and turned it on, "what is a not-much-of-a-drinker doing in a drinking establishment?"_

 _"I'm new to Pewter. I guess I'm just trying to get my bearings." His gaze flew to the window. "And hide from the rain."_

 _"Well, welcome to Pewter, it's a great city. I'm Sam." He extended his hand._

 _James shook Sam's hand. "My name is James Morgan. It's a pleasure to meet you." Releasing his hand, James figured he may as well try his luck. "I don't suppose you're in need of any staff at the moment are you?"_

 _"'Fraid not." Sam's attention was interrupted by another customer down the bar. "Good luck in your search through. Excuse me. Ah yes Flint, what can I get you?"_

 _James took a smaller sip of his drink, shuddering slightly as it warmed his stomach. Lost in his own thoughts, he didn't notice the music stop or the clapping coming from around the piano, only coming back to reality when somebody approached the bar next to him._

 _"Hi! Not seen you in here before."_

 _James turned towards the voice and found himself face to face with the pianist. "It's my first time in Pewter."_

 _"It's a great city."_

 _"So I hear!" James smiled at his companion._

 _"Business or pleasure?" the pianist asked as she waved at Sam, getting his attention._

 _"Oh, um, neither I guess. I've just moved here."_

 _"Welcome! I'm Clementine." She stuck out her hand._

 _"My name is James Morgan. It's a pleasure to meet you." he smiled as he shook it._

 _"The pleasure's all mine, James Morgan!" she grinned up at him._

 _"What can I get you, Clem?" Sam asked as he approached the duo._

 _'Everyone is so friendly here,' James thought to himself as he sipped his brandy, feeling a bit more positive than he was earlier, 'now if I could just find a job…'_

 _xXx_

 _The night passed by so quickly as James switched between chatting with Sam and watching Clementine wow the audience with her playing and singing. She certainly knew how to entertain a crowd; her personality was as vibrant as her hair and outfit. As she announced this would be her last song for the evening, the crowd booed and hollered in disappointment. James smiled as he turned back to Sam, continuing their conversation between customers. They had really hit it off, Sam was a great listener (comes as part of the job, he said) and he had given him some tips on places to try and look for work._

 _On Sam's recommendation, James had switched to pear cider and found it a lot more bearable than brandy. Although he had been taking it easy, James was beginning to feel a little tipsy. He hadn't intended to stay there all evening! The applause from the far side of the room signalled the end of Clementine's performance, and she disappeared into the back as people started to finish their drinks and collect their belongings, eventually filing out into the dark night. James eyed the piano as Sam cleaned behind the bar, and he thought about Maurice and everything he had done to help him. He hoped the shopkeeper was ok._

 _Sam followed his gaze. "You play?" he asked as he emptied the dishwasher._

 _James sipped his drink. "A little" he admitted._

 _"Let's hear you then!"_

 _"Hear what?" Clementine asked as she reappeared at the bar, sliding in to the seat beside James._

 _"James can play the piano too. You might have some competition here Clem!" Sam laughed._

 _James blanched and looked at Clementine. "I'm not anywhere near as good as you!" he waved his hands defensively._

 _"We'll see." She turned her attention to Sam. "One more vodka, barkeep!" she slammed her palm on the bar, grinning at the bartender._

 _"Yes sir!" Sam teased. "James? One for the road?"_

 _"No thank you. It's been a pleasure but I should get home. I don't suppose either of you can tell me how to get to Nibi Avenue? I wandered a tad far from home today."_

 _Clementine's eyes twinkled mischievously. "That's not too far from me. I can walk you home… on one condition."_

 _James gave her a puzzled look as Sam set her drink on the bar. "What is the condition?"_

 _"I drink… you play." She raised her eyebrow as she took a sip of her drink._

 _Conceding defeat, James accepted her offer, and the pair made their way over to the piano._

 _Despite the past few years playing on his keyboard and rediscovering his love for music, dark thoughts clouded James' mind as he approached the seat. He took a deep breath, glancing around the room. This wasn't a grand piano. This wasn't a ballroom. The worn-down piano seat didn't belong in a mansion. The smell of the bar wasn't the same sterile odour from his childhood. The woman standing behind him meant him no harm. James wiped his palms on his trousers as he took a seat, forcing his mind to think of his keyboard on the dusty warehouse floor, music books sprawled around him, his joy of discovering new music._

 _"What are you waiting for, Jimmy?" The voice was Clementine's, not Jessebelle's._

 _James took another deep breath and forced every negative thought from his brain, and picked the first song from his time with Maurice that came to him; Let It Be._

 _As Clementine started to sing, James fully relaxed. Although, he supposed the alcohol helped._

 _"You are good!" Clementine smiled as he finished the song. "Learn more upbeat stuff and you can help me out sometimes, if you fancy a few hours part time I mean."_

 _James whipped his head round, wide eyed. "Excuse me? Did you just offer me a job? I'm actually looking for work at the moment!"_

 _"Woah, hold your horsea, I can't offer you many hours, but I've recently taken on another gig and I'm finding it hard dividing my time between the two. But yeah if you can help me out that would be amazing. You seem to have the skills. You just need more upbeat repertoire. Unless you wanna take some shifts at the posh hotel across town, they prefer more classical stuff."_

 _James nervously tugged at his collar. "I can play more upbeat songs, that won't be a problem." As if to emphasize his point, James launched in to Great Balls Of Fire. "I can't sing very well I'm afraid." he called over the song._

 _"Alcohol is a great confidence booster, especially when it comes to singing!" Clementine laughed, setting her empty glass down on the nearest table and perching on the end of the seat. "Move up would ya?" she teased, lightly shoving him._

 _James grinned and scooted over, allowing her to swing her legs forward and she joined in with the song, adding her own melody over the top of James', both of them laughing as their playing intensified, fingers flying over the keys._

 _xXx_

 _The weeks flew by as James made himself at home in Pewter City. He had found a part time job working in a café during the day, and two evenings a week he played in Sam's bar. The nights he wasn't working, he found himself spending time in the bar anyway, getting to know Sam and Clementine and the regulars, who were coming to accept him as one of them._

 _James entered the bar and took his usual seat, exhausted from the days toil in the café, and waved at Sam._

 _"Usual, James?" joked Sam, knowing full well James still hadn't settled on a drink he really loved, instead opting to try different things each time._

 _"Very funny," grinned James. "Surprise me."_

 _Sam poured James a Malibu and orange and set it in front of him. "I think you'll like this one."_

 _"How many times have you proclaimed you'd found me my perfect drink?" James teased, taking a sip and contemplating it. "It's nice, although I find it a touch too sweet."_

 _Sam rolled his eyes. "You're a hard man to please!" James laughed as Sam leaned in closer. "So, how's it going with Clem?"_

 _"What do you mean?" James asked, puzzled. He took another gulp of his drink. It wasn't too bad, he supposed._

 _"Now that you two are dating?"_

 _James choked on his drink._

 _"You ok there buddy?" Sam asked in alarm, reaching over to slap James on the back._

 _Eyes streaming, James managed to stammer "yes, thank you."_

 _A customer waving caught Sam's attention. "Hold that thought." he instructed, "I want details when I get back. You sure you're ok?"_

 _James nodded, feeling anything but ok, as the past couple of weeks flashed before his eyes. The time they'd been spending together outside of work, the occasions they'd gone out for dinner before their evening shifts, the way she was so tactile with him, constantly touching his arm or hugging him… all of this he'd thought was just friendly behaviour. With a groan, he suddenly realised why she looked so disappointed every time she invited him in after he walked her home from the bar, and why he had been convinced a couple of times that she had almost kissed him, but simply told himself he was imagining it, because they were just friends. How could he be so naïve?!_

 _He was now fully in panic mode, and his mind whirred, desperately trying to find a solution to this unfortunate predicament. James silently cursed his naivety, his foolishness, his inexperience, wondering how he could have been so blind. And the overwhelming guilt of leading her on. He didn't want to hurt her, but he absolutely had to get out of this terrible situation._

 _Except… except the past couple of weeks hadn't been terrible. He had genuinely enjoyed spending time with Clementine. James took a deep drink and tried to think clearly. Ok, so he might not have been aware they were dating, but if this was dating, then maybe it wasn't so bad after all? They were just two people spending time together and getting to know one another. James had no point of reference, no way to know if real dating was supposed to be different. A wave of nausea swept over him as he thought back to her inviting him in to her apartment. Ok, there was one big difference._

 _Glancing at his watch, he realised Clementine would arrive at the bar at any moment. Every fibre of his being told him to run._

 _'Get a grip, James,' he chided, 'you've got this far, albeit without knowing. You can do this!'_

 _His courage wavered slightly as a flash of electric blue caught his eye, and Clementine gave him a quick hug from behind before sliding in to the seat next to him._

 _"Hi James, you ok hun?"_

 _Taking a deep breath, James downed his drink then leant over to place a kiss on her cheek. "I'm great dear, how are you?"_

 _He could do this._

 _xXx_

 _It was only two days later that James realised he could not in fact do this._

 _Things had been going pretty well, so much so that James decided to finally accept Clementine's invitation in to her apartment. Once again, James' naivety had blindsided him as he found himself pinned under his girlfriend on her sofa, his shirt open and her hands running over his chest, her lips against his own as she straddled him._

 _Pulling away, she teased with a coy smile "You know, you can touch me James."_

 _James had absolutely no idea where to touch her. As her lips found his again, he tentatively placed his hands on her waist, gradually moving his hands up her back under her t-shirt. Clementine pulled away again, yanking her t-shirt up over her head and throwing it to one side, not seeming to notice the flush creep on to James' face before she kissed him again, more fervently than before._

 _A few minutes passed before Clementine pulled back again, studying his face. "James, you do want to do this, don't you? Because if you don't, it's ok, honestly!"_

 _"Yes, I absolutely want to do this." James smiled up at her. He wasn't sure who he was trying to convince; her or himself._

 _"Promise?" Clementine questioned, her brow furrowed slightly._

 _James pulled her towards him. "Promise." He whispered as he kissed her._

 _What was he doing? He had the perfect opportunity to get out of this situation, to just admit this was too far. Yet his stubborn newfound courage wasn't letting him get out of it that easily. 'This is what couples are supposed to do' his brain kept telling him over and over, 'just do it, get it over with, it's no big deal'_

 _Except it was a big deal. First dating, then sex, what then? Marriage?_

 _James was so busy panicking over the images flashing through his mind, images of Clementine with red ringlets framing her face, whip in hand, that he hadn't even noticed Clementine unfastening his jeans and slipping her hand inside._

 _"Um, James?" she pulled away and studied him, brows furrowed again. "Not to sound like a broken record, but are you sure you want to do this?"_

 _James realised with a jolt where her hand was, quickly followed by a second realisation of why she was confused._

 _"I'm sorry," James stammered, mortified._

 _Clementine slid off him, plopping down on to the sofa next to him. "Look, I'm getting some pretty mixed signals here James. I just wish you'd be honest with me."_

 _"I do want to do this, I just…" James trailed off, not knowing how he could possibly explain how he was feeling._

 _"Is it me?" The hurt on her face caused a huge wave of guilt to crash over James_

 _"No! Arceus no, I…" he ran his hands through his hair, humiliation coursing through his veins, "It's not you, it's…"_

 _The feelings of panic and shame and guilt were overwhelming. "I have to go, I'm sorry Clem." James jumped up from the sofa and pretty much sprinted out of the room, leaving his newly-found confidence behind, along with his dignity._

James pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose, the feelings from that night resurfacing. Sighing, he compared that night to his current situation. What was different this time? Why could a beautiful girl like Clem not get a reaction from him, yet a quick makeover from his best friend caused his body to react in such an unusual way, well, unusual for him at least.

 _'Am I attracted to Jessie?'_ She was beautiful, that was a fact, plain and simple. But he'd been around beautiful girls before without his treacherous body leaping into overdrive. Plus, Jessie was beautiful back when they were teenagers too, and he'd never had this problem around her, despite them sharing a room and being incredibly close. _'Maybe I'm just a late bloomer when it comes to hormones.'_ James snorted. _'Maybe I'm officially going through my horny teenager years. Perfect. That won't make things awkward in the slightest.'_

James weighed up the two options, in lieu of any other alternatives. _'Either I'm attracted to Jessie, or this is just biology.'_ James sat for a while, unable to figure out which one made more sense, before picking himself up and dusting himself off, catching his pathetic reflection in the mirror as he turned to open the door.

He prayed to Arceus it was the latter.


	11. Chapter 11 - Shine

**Ok so this chapter didn't include everything I'd originally planned, however I thought I'd cut it short and post what I have so far as you've all been waiting so patiently! Meaning I can get stuck in to that next part in the next chapter. Warning, tissues may be required (or maybe it's just me, I was in bits writing this) Enjoy! And happy new year everyone! xx  
**

Chapter 11 - Shine

Jessie paced the room, her temper rising with every step. James had practically run from the room earlier, mumbling something about not being long and ignoring his team mates protests. Jessie and Meowth had continued going through the documents and making plans but as the hours went by, Jessie became more and more impatient.

"Where the hell is he?" she asked the cat for the tenth time.

Meowth ignored her. He'd been listening to her rant for a good half hour, and nothing he said had helped quell her anger.

"Leaving us to do all the work whilst he just swans off," she muttered as Meowth rolled his eyes, "that lazy, good for nothing son of a –"

"Woah dere Jess," Meowth interrupted, "Dat's not noice."

"Oh shut up, furball!" she raged, clenching her fists.

"And anyways, I'm da one doin' all da woik here! The only woik you're doin' is wearin' a hole in da carpet! Ya wanna make yerself useful maybe?" He gestured to the documents and plans strewn over the bed.

"Oh I'll make myself useful alright! I'm gonna go find that blue-haired idiot and drag him back here myself!"

Slamming the door behind her, Jessie stomped down the corridor. Boy, was he in trouble! So vigorous was her stomping, and so focussed was her mind on how much she was gonna let him have it when she caught up to him, Jessie completely forgot about the small step leading down to where the elevators were. Letting out a string of expletives as her ankle twisted, Jessie steadied herself on the wall, cursing James and gingerly testing to see if she could put her weight on it. Thankfully it didn't seem to be too bad, and she continued to the elevator, only hobbling slightly, glad that no one was around to see. As she slammed the button, a memory surfaced in her mind.

 _Jessie ran. She didn't know where she was going, but she wasn't staying there anymore! She hated it! Hated her foster parents. And especially hated the other kids she was stuck with – two foster boys and the parents' two real children, a boy and a girl. She had been overjoyed when she was offered the chance to be part of a family rather than stay in the orphanage. Jessie had been fostered once before, however it didn't last long as the kind old woman who had fostered her lived in poverty, and Jessie soon found herself back in the orphanage. But this time, she was gonna have a mum and a dad, and brothers, and a sister, and she was gonna be part of a real family! Except, just like everything else in Jessie's life, it didn't turn out the way she'd hoped. The parents didn't have jobs, their only income coming from the government for being foster parents. They were lazy and selfish, and just sat around watching tv and not paying attention to the kids. Jessie supposed that's why they had decided to foster, guaranteed income for not doing any work. When it came to meal times, the parents made sure they had the biggest amount of food, the best cuts of meat, etc. Then their real children got their pick. Jessie and the other foster boys were left with whatever was left. It was the same for clothing, toys, everything. The kids were bullies, picking on and taunting the foster kids, and in turn the foster boys, who were older and bigger than Jessie, were mean to her too._

 _Jessie kept running, last nights' snow crunching underfoot as she ran. Her thin jacket and old hand-me-down shoes did nothing to protect from the icy winter chill. Jessie turned off the road, down an alleyway that lead to a winding path, which in turn lead to the old train tracks. Slowing to a walk, she ambled along the tracks for a while, marvelling at how peaceful it was as the snow started to fall again. Trees, with their branches twisting and spreading upwards against the cobalt sky, a sliver of a moon peeking through. An untouched blanket of white lay in front of her, begging to be disturbed, and with a rebellious grin she stomped a curse word in to the snow._

 _After admiring her handiwork, Jessie continued along the tracks, kicking up snow and trying to catch falling flakes on her tongue. She was absolutely freezing, but at least she was free out here. Jessie loved winter. She didn't have many memories of her mother, but of the ones she had, the happiest were in the garden, building snowmen, then coming in to a warm fire and cuddling on the sofa with a mug of hot chocolate. She must have only been about four or five years old. She remembered feeling so special during winter, playing with her mother in the snow and celebrating Christmas and New Years during this time, and during the summer too when her mother would treat her like a princess on her birthday. She always made her feel loved, and even though her memories would fade, she always remembered that feeling, of being cared for and loved, being made to feel special, of knowing that someone had your best interests at heart and would do anything to protect you and keep you safe._

 _Even the short time Jessie spent with the poor foster mother had been better than her current situation. The foster income was just enough to cover Mama Ritchie's rent, subsidised only by what she could knit and sell in the town market. But despite having no money, despite having nothing to eat but snow at times through the cruel winter, that lady still cared deeply for Jessie and showed her love and affection. Jessie cried when they took her away back to the orphanage, she had only recently lost her mother and now Mama Ritchie too! It dawned on Jessie when she was back at the orphanage that without the foster income, Mama Ritchie probably would have lost her home too, and Jessie had sobbed at thought of her carer homeless and out in the cold._

 _Feeling her stomach rumble, Jessie thought of the snowgasboard that she and Mama Ritchie had made in order to survive. They both knew deep down they were eating snow, and how bad their situation really was, but that didn't stop them having fun with it, laughing as they made up the snow food, savouring the taste of the soy sauce and convincing themselves they weren't as hungry afterwards. Mama Ritchie had even prepared a special snow feast for Christmas too!_

 _This winter hadn't been as special. Earlier that day, Jessie's foster parents had told her she wasn't getting any gifts, although Jessie had seen four small presents under the tree for the other four kids. When asked, they laughed in her face and told her she didn't deserve any this year, before shooing her out of the way of the tv. Fists curled up in anger, Jessie had stomped up to her room and packed some essentials in a small bag, and ran. And that's how she found herself alone, wandering in the snow, temperatures steadily plummeting, six days before Christmas._

 _"I don't even want stupid presents off you anyway," she muttered to herself, "it'd probably just be old socks like last year." Although, as she trudged through the snow, wetness seeping through the holes in her shoes, she had to admit that a pair of dry socks sounded lovely right now._

 _Flashing lights caught her eye, and she squinted to see what they were. Through the bushes on the other side of the train tracks, red blue and green sparkled and glittered. Jumping over the tracks, she parted the leaves, and gasped. Running until she found a gap in the bush, she scrambled through, not caring about the twigs scratching and scraping her frozen face, and she stood still, taking it all in._

 _Houses, big houses cascaded with twinkling lights of all colours, shimmering through trees in the immaculate gardens and dancing in the windows. There were decorations of stantler and of Santa, and she could hear the chime of Christmas music which appeared to be coming from one of the gardens, the lights pulsing in time to the tune. Jessie walked slowly along the road, turning her head this way and that, making sure to not miss anything. It was like a winter wonderland!_

 _The snow was really pelting down now, and the icy wind whipped at her skin. She had lost all feeling in her toes, but still she walked on, in awe at the sights, the warmth in her heart distracting her from the cold. Hearing laughter, she paused to watch a scene through a window, a family putting the finishing touches to their huge Christmas tree, a small boy on his daddy's shoulders reaching up to place the final star as the mummy cuddled her daughter, giggling happily together. If a tear crept down her numb face, Jessie didn't feel it._

 _Jessie tore herself away from the scene, the warm feeling fading and sadness and jealousy bubbling up to the surface, though she tried to keep them at bay. The twinkling lights now offered no protection from the cold, which was starting to eat away at her very soul._

 _'Gotta keep moving,' she urged herself, rubbing her arms through the thin fabric, and she strode down the road as quickly as her numb feet would allow. As she rounded a corner, she slipped on a patch of black ice, and she hit the ground, hard, ankle twisting and pain shooting up her leg. Whimpering, Jessie took a deep breath and tried to stand, but she slipped again, her bad ankle landing under her body and she cried out in agony._

 _"Here, let me help you."_

 _Jessie felt a hand on her shoulder and turned towards the voice. A man knelt behind her, maybe in his forties, it was hard to tell as he was so wrapped up from the cold._

 _"I don't need your help!" Jessie flicked his hand off her shoulder and tried to stand again without success. She let out a frustrated groan and clutched her ankle._

 _"Ok, ok" he held his hands up in defence, "but as a doctor would you at least like me to examine your ankle before you go on your way? You'll not get very far on your own if it's broken." He gave Jessie a warm smile that extended to his eyes._

 _Jessie swallowed her pride. Her ankle really did hurt. Holding his gaze, she nodded. Delicately, the man felt her ankle, asking where it hurt. Jessie watched him as she answered. He had kind eyes._

 _"I was just on my way home from work there when I saw you slip. I live in that house there," he gestured to a nearby house, "I don't think it's broken but I'd prefer to examine it properly, if you'd like to come in out of the cold for a while? My wife makes an exceptional hot chocolate, and I have two daughters, I'm sure they'll have some dry socks for you."_

 _Jessie's pride, or stubbornness, or common sense, was crying out to say no to this stranger. But as she sat there in the snow, shivering and in pain, having not tasted hot chocolate since before her mother disappeared, she had to admit it sounded tempting. Jessie gazed towards his house. There was a snowman in the front garden, donned in a floral hat and a bright pink scarf. She noticed two faces at the top window peering down at them, two girls about her age. One of them smiled and waved at Jessie._

 _"Ok," Jessie nodded at the man, and she allowed him to help her up._

 _xXx_

 _Jessie woke up the following morning after the best night's sleep she'd had in a long time. The guest bed was so soft and comfortable, she could have quite happily gone back to sleep, were it not for the throbbing pain in her ankle. The doctor, Ronnie, had determined that it was just a sprain but had urged her to keep off it for a day or two. Jessie had declined their invitation to stay at first, but his wife Christine and their daughters Lyra and Lydia had insisted._

 _Jessie looked around the room. It was so pretty; immaculately decorated, fresh sheets on the huge bed, flowers in the window, and a picture of the twin girls on the wall. The girls looked so happy, hugging each other and smiling from ear to ear, both wearing pretty clothes and holding ice cream cones bigger than Jessie had ever seen! As if on cue, the door knocked and Jessie heard whispering outside._

 _"Come in?" Jessie called, sitting up as the twins shyly peeked round the door._

 _"We brought some games if you wanna play with us?" said one, nervously._

 _"You gotta be bored sitting up here on your own" added the other one._

 _"I just woke up, actually" Jessie rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn._

 _"What? We've been up for HOURS!" the first one said as they burst in to the room, depositing armfuls of games on to the corner of the bed._

 _"But mummy said we weren't allowed to bother you" the second twin added._

 _Jessie suppressed a laugh. She'd never sat in a luxurious bed and had to choose what game to play out of more toys than she'd ever owned! Grinning, she grabbed the nearest one. "How do you play this one?"_

 _xXx_

 _The next couple of days were so strange for Jessie. The family that had taken her in, they were a proper family! The girls snuggled on the sofa together watching Christmas movies whilst the mum and dad cooked and baked amazing food. They ate dinner round the table together, talking and laughing. Lyra and Lydia included Jessie in everything they did, whether she wanted to or not! When Jessie was able to put weight on her ankle, the girls bundled her up in spare coats and hats and dragged her out in to the snow, and they made two more snowmen._

 _"That's me, and that's Lydia, and that one there is you, Jessie!" Lyra exclaimed when they had finished._

 _As Jessie lay in bed that night, she thought about everything they had done for her. Ronnie was so kind, and devoted to his family, and really good looking, you know, for an old guy. He was a really good doctor with his own surgery, and they were able to afford this gigantic house in this beautiful upmarket area, and provide for their children, not just materialistically but emotionally too. Jessie had never met a happier family. She wondered if they knew how lucky they were._

 _Jessie made a promise to herself right there and then, that one day she would find a handsome rich doctor to marry._

 _Sighing, Jessie thought back over the orphanage and foster home. She refused to go back to that way of life. But she couldn't stay here either. They weren't her family. She was an imposter. Some poor kid they'd taken pity on. And Jessie didn't like to be pitied._

 _Glancing round the room, she sighed. It was Christmas Eve tomorrow. She couldn't keep intruding during this special time. Christmas was for family! Silently, she crept out of bed and tiptoed to the pile of toys, grabbing a colouring book and a marker pen. Sitting on the corner of the soft bed, she scribbled down her goodbyes, thanking each of them in turn for their kindness and generosity. Leaving the open book on the bed and swallowing down the lump in her throat, Jessie put on as many layers as she could from the clothes she had borrowed, topped off by a nice warm coat, gloves, hat and scarf. Jessie tiptoed quietly through the house and out of the door in to the cold, not noticing the new pile of gifts under the tree, each one bearing her name._

It took Jessie a few moments to realise she had reached the ground floor and the elevator doors had opened. Shaking her head clear, she made her way in to the lobby, scanning the room for signs of lavender. She didn't have to look long, spying him through the glass as she passed by the bar. However as she strode through the door, psyching herself up to give him a good telling off, Jessie found her anger at her team mate had dissipated. Though that didn't stop her from clipping him round the back of the head as soon as she was within reach.

"What was that for?" James rubbed the back of his head.

"For disappearing and leaving me and Meowth to do all the work! You been here all this time?" Jessie stood over him, arms folded and glaring at him.

James shook his head. "No, I went for a walk. I've only just arrived here." _'Thought I'd get some dutch courage before I returned to you'_ he thought to himself.

"What's with you, anyway?" Jessie asked as she slid in to the seat next to him and waved at the barman.

James stared in to his drink, brow furrowed. "I apologise, I wasn't feeling too good, I thought it would be best if I got some fresh air."

"So this would be medicinal, I assume?" she smirked, raising her eyebrow at his drink.

James was spared from answering as the barman appeared and took Jessie's order. The pair sat in silence for a while, James wondering how he could look his team mate in the eye after earlier, Jessie wondering how far she should push her team mate for the truth. He was hiding something, there was no doubt about that. What on earth could he have been so scared about? It suddenly dawned on Jessie that maybe there was someone, some other girl, in his life that she didn't know about.

"James, do you have a girlfriend?" Jessie blurted out without fully thinking it through.

The question caught James off guard. "Excuse me?"

 _'Dammit Jessie…'_ She inwardly cursed herself, choosing her next words more carefully. "If we're going to succeed with this…" she lowered her voice, "…mission, then we can't afford any distractions. I need your full concentration, your focus, one hundred percent. No less."

James turned back to his drink. "No Jessie, I'm not involved with anybody at the moment."

"Good!" The more she thought about it, the more ridiculous an idea it seemed. Rocket agents wouldn't have much time to maintain a relationship outside of work. If James had someone, Jessie would have had a clue or _something_ by now. She sipped her drink. Unless… they were also a Rocket? _'No, James wouldn't be that stupid, everyone knows how Giovanni feels about that!'_

Jessie exhaled a small laugh. "Y'know, I always thought you'd be settled down living the boring suburban life by now."

"Oh, um, that's not really me…" James focussed on swirling the contents of his glass, rather than the implications of that lifestyle. "There was someone once. Nothing as serious as all that though." He finished his drink and waved at the bartender. "Would you care for another drink? On me of course" James asked, not looking at her.

Jessie glanced down at her over half-full vodka coke. Though, she wasn't the type to turn down a free drink! "Sure thing! Same again!" She flashed her partner an appreciative smile, yet he still didn't look her way.

"So, didn't work out huh?" Jessie pressed after James ordered more beverages. She toyed with the straw in her drink, absentmindedly wondering what kind of girl she was.

"It didn't." James frowned, not sure how much or how little he should disclose. "We had a bit of a tumultuous start. We tried again a while later…" James paused, frowning again. The second time hadn't been quite as horrifying. Clementine had been worried about James after that night in her apartment, and although he wouldn't discuss his fears with her, they happily remained friends afterwards. About nine months later they found themselves drawn to each other again, spending more and more time together culminating in another attempt at dating, an attempt that this time James was aware of. And as much as James wasn't proud of his next move, as much as it made him feel ashamed to think of her standing waiting to meet him outside the restaurant, James did the only thing that felt right to him.

He ran.

"… I suppose it just wasn't meant to be." he finished weakly, glad their drinks had arrived and he fished out a note from his wallet before taking a sip of his rum. "What about you? You didn't find that rich doctor I assume?"

"What? How did you…?" Jessie gave her partner a perplexed stare.

"I remember you telling me your plan back in Pokémon Tech." His eyes briefly met hers before he stared down at his drink again, strands of lavender obscuring his eyes.

 _After forming a firm friendship, Jessie had secretly moved in to James' Poke Tech room. James had the luxury of a double room to himself, as the other boys refused to share a room with him. That first night together, they sat up until the small hours, huddled under the duvet, getting to know each other. It was during this night that Jessie had revealed her failed attempt at getting in to nursing school._

 _"Jessie I think that's wonderful, you must be such a kind-hearted person to want to become a nurse and help people. It's truly admirable." James gushed._

 _"Ha!" Jessie laughed, causing James' adoring smile to falter. "I only wanted to become a nurse so I could meet a rich handsome doctor to marry so we could live in a huuuuge house and I could have everything I ever wanted! And it's still gonna happen, I ain't givin' up that easily!" she giggled._

"Mmm, I remember that" Jessie smiled, enjoying the warm feeling of nostalgia that spread through her chest after so many years of not allowing herself to dwell on the old days with James.

"You didn't find him then?" James took a drink, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer.

"No, not exactly. I did date a surgeon for a while, but…" Jessie stabbed at her drink with her straw, not wanting to think of that piece of shit. Sure, on the surface he had everything she had desired, but the stresses of the job meant that sometimes, when he came home from work, well, he wasn't exactly nice. He'd often take his frustrations out on her, especially if he'd had a drink. "…I suppose it just wasn't meant to be." she finished, echoing James' words from earlier.

James glanced up from his drink and offered a brief sympathetic smile to his partner. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be," Jessie said after taking a deep drink of her vodka. "I'm not interested in men right now anyway. Most of them aren't worth my time. Well, unless Doctor Right comes along to whisk me away to some luxurious island!" She laughed and downed her drink, wiping her lips and turning to face James. "Right, that's enough skiving. We've got work to do!"

James finished his drink and stood, leaving a tip on the bar. As Jessie stood, he noticed the way she tried to avoid putting weight on one foot. "Jessie, did you hurt yourself?" he asked, concerned.

"Oh it's nothing, just a sore ankle, I'm fine." she dismissed.

"Allow me," James offered her his arm, and their eyes finally locked, emerald and sapphire shining, gazes held for just a fraction longer than normal, small smiles forming on their lips.

With a nod, Jessie linked her arm through James' and they made their way to the elevator, both wondering if the other had felt the electricity that sparked between them as they touched.


End file.
